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White-tailed deer facts for kids

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White-tailed Deer
White-tailed deer.jpg
Male (buck or stag)
Whitetail doe.jpg
Female (doe)
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Subfamily:
Capreolinae
Genus:
Odocoileus
Species:
O. virginianus
Binomial name
Odocoileus virginianus
Zimmermann, 1780
Subspecies

38, see text

Odocoileus virginianus map.svg
White-tailed Deer range map

The white-tailed deer is a type of deer that is found throughout most of North America, and only some in South America. The white-tailed deer were also brought over to Europe and New Zealand.

The white-tailed deer is normally between around 57 and 137 kilograms (125 to 301 pounds) in weight. Its body is between 160 and 220 centimeters (63 to 86 inches) long. It is mostly colored brown, but can also be greyish or reddish in winter and summer. Male white-tailed deer have large antlers. These fall off in the winter. The white-tailed deer mostly lives between two and three years long. Sometimes, though, they will live for more than ten years.

This type of deer is quite shy. When they are scared, they run very fast, and wave their tails. They mostly stay alone and in the same location throughout the year. During the autumn, the deer engage in mating.

They mostly eat vegetation like tree leaves or smaller plants. The deer feed mostly during the morning and evening.

Predators of the white-tailed deer include animals like wolves, coyotes, bears, and mountain lions, as well as humans.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Odocoileus virginianus para niños

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White-tailed deer Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.