White-tailed deer: description, lifestyle, species protection

The virgin (white-tailed) deer is the most common subspecies in North America. Among other representatives of the deer species, this is the largest. The animal is very interesting, worth closer acquaintance.

Description

In winter, the virgin deer wear a light gray fur coat, which by the summer becomes reddish, darker on the back. The main name of the species was due to its bright white at the bottom of the tail. Noticing the danger, the white-tailed deer rushes to run, tail lifted. Kindred, noticing the rushing white spot, also rush off.

Change of horns, which are worn only by males, occurs after the mating season. Beautiful, in the form of a crescent, horns have several appendages - an average of 6-7.
The size of deer is different - it depends on the subspecies.

Males grazing in the very north, grow up to 1-1,1 meters at the withers with weight up to 150 kg. Females are slightly smaller and slightly lighter. The animals remaining in the southern parts of the continent are noticeably smaller. On some islands, deer do not exceed 60 cm at the withers. Their weight is only about 35 kg. So small growth is due to island dwarfism. The deer of North America live on average about 10 years.

Habitat

The white-tailed deer is found all over the continent and even a little further: from the southern borders of Canada to the north of Brazil and Peru. This species is considered one of the most common of those that could adapt to different conditions. Herds of these animals can be seen in the forests of New England, in the impenetrable swamps of Everglades, on the prairies, in the semi-arid deserts of Arizona and Mexico.

In Brazil, the white-tailed deer inhabited tugai forests, the northern slopes of the Andes and coastal shrub savannas. Curiously, rain forests have not attracted animals - they are not there at all. However, throughout the whole of South and Central America the white-tailed wolf meets much less frequently than in the North.

High adaptability of the species made him a welcome guest in many regions. So, in the middle of the last century the white-tailed deer in Finland turned out to be exactly the program of introduction. Later, having multiplied, the animals naturally settled throughout Scandinavia. Also, deer were brought to the Czech Republic and Russia. This species is one of seven, transported to New Zealand for the development of hunting.

Lifestyle

In general, the animal prefers a single way of life. However, even in the mating season, gay men can form groups, albeit fragile. For pairing the male enough scattered females - he does not need to create a harem.
After 200 days after the mating season, deer appear. Most often 1-2 babies are born, but sometimes three can also appear. The wool of deer-white-tailed beetles, like many other species, is covered with white specks.

Food chain

What the deer feeds on this species does not distinguish it from other ungulates: leaves, buds, grasses, berries, tree bark.

In natural conditions, there are many people who want to eat white-tailed meat: pumas, coyotes, wolves, jaguars, bears. In addition, a person considers a white-tailed deer an excellent prey.

A threat

Experts believe that before the settling of Europeans in North America, there lived about 40 million white-tailed deer. The Indians always hunted these animals, but it had no effect on the population. The colonists began to kill deer, not only for the extraction of meat, but also for the sake of a beautiful skin, and often only for entertainment.

Such use of the "resource" led to the fact that by 1900 there were about 500 thousand of them left. Since that moment, a restriction on hunting has been introduced, but today the situation differs in different regions of the continent. In some areas, the number is practically restored, while in others the species is on the verge of extinction. In general, the United States currently has about 14 million individuals.

Some subspecies, formerly inhabiting the continent, are considered almost completely destroyed and belong to extinct or almost extinct. The red list of IUCN consists of:

• Reef deer. Resident of the Florida Keys. The smallest subspecies of the white-tailed. The shooting in 1945 led to the fact that they were left with only 26 units. Measures of protection and revival of the population led to the fact that today their number has increased to 300 individuals. But the influx of tourists to the islands makes us worry about the population.
• Colombian white-tailed deer. Got a name in honor of the habitat - near the Columbia River (Oregon and Washington States). The habitat of this subspecies is almost destroyed by man, therefore the number of deer has decreased to 300. By now, the Colombian white-tailed wolf is in the least danger, its number has increased to 3000.

In most parts of the United States , deer hunting is permitted. However, during the season, one hunter has the right to kill only one individual. Nevertheless, the population is decreasing every year, which seriously worries the specialists.

White-tailed deer in Russia

Today in our country there are several groups of deer in the fenced areas of the Smolensk, Nizhny Novgorod, Voronezh and Tver regions. Perhaps there are groups in Karelia and the Udmurt Republic.

In addition, deer brought to Finland, penetrate into the Leningrad region for more than 8 years. Since 2013, the species has received hunting status.

This situation makes the question of studying the species more urgent. Grouping of the white-tailed deer becomes more and more, while the status of the species in the country is not defined. It is required to find out as soon as possible whether it is dangerous for the local fauna, whether such a kind of hunting resource is necessary for the country.

For our country, the issues related to the species are becoming more urgent, since an increasing number of these animals appear on the territory of Russia. What does the deer eat, what habitats prefer, what diseases are typical for the species. All this is important to know in order to understand whether we need this imported animal.