1 Mart 2013 Cuma

Arkansas State Mammal

Arkansas State Mammal

White-tailed Deer (common name)
Odocoileus virginianus 
(scientific name)

Overview

The white-tailed deer is native to the United States and a common sight in all but a few states. It is the most popular choice in the country as a state animal, having been designated as such by Arkansas in 1993, Illinois in 1980, Nebraska in 1981, New Hampshire in 1983, Ohio in 1988, Pennsylvania in 1959, and South Carolina in 1972. Michigan (1997) and Mississippi (1974) also include it among their designated state animals. The whitetail is a medium-sized brown deer that was an important source of food and leather for the indigenous peoples of the country. It remains the country’s most important game animal and is prized for its meat (called "venison") and the challenge of hunting it, especially with a bow and arrow. Whitetails are larger in the northern part of its range and the smallest sub-species can be found in the southernmost part of the US in the Florida Keys.

Close-up

STATUS
Official
ALSO KNOWN AS
Virginia deer, Columbian white-tailed deer, Southern white-tailed deer, whitetail
PHYSICAL DETAILS
Reddish brown in summer and grayish brown in winter. A small population of white (not albino) deer is found in upstate New York. Males shed their antlers from late December to February and re-grow them every year in late spring when they are covered with a fuzzy tissue known as "velvet."
  MalesFemales
Sizelength 4–8 ft (120-240 cm); shoulder height 32–42 in (80-106 cm)length 62–87 in (160-220 cm); height 32–40 in (80-100 cm)
Weight130–300 lbs (60 kg–130 kg); average 250 lbs (114 kg); largest 500 lbs (230 kg)90–200 lbs (40–90 kg); average 150 lbs (68 kg)
LIFESPAN
Up to 15 years; average of 2–3 years in the wild
HABITAT
Range: Southern Canada to Peru; absent from California, Nevada, and Utah; introduced to parts of Europe and New Zealand.
Conservation: Least Concern (LC). Deer were severely depleted throughout their range in the U.S. by the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hunting restrictions brought populations back to historic levels, but then the elimination of the animal’s natural predators led to an overpopulation of whitetail deer over much of its range.
BEHAVIOR
Whitetails will stay completely still when they sense danger and then will raise their tail in a flash of white and run away at great speed. They are athletic animals that can jump 8-foot (2.5-m) fences and swim at 13 mph (21 kph). Male deer ("bucks") grow antlers they use for marking trees in their territory and sparring with other males to determine the hierarchy within the herd. Bucks rarely eat or rest during the mating season (the "rut") when they will attempt to mate with as many females as possible. Whitetail females ("does") will tenaciously defend their fawns, up to the point of risking their own lives.
Top land speed recorded: 40 mph (64 kph)
DIET
Plant shoots, twigs, buds, leaves, pine needles, cactus, grasses, acorns, wild apples, plums, corn, mushrooms, sumac, hay, and grains.
OFFSPRING
Breeding interval: Annual
Birthing period
: May–June
Average litter size
: 1–3 fawns
Size at birth
: 3–14 lbs (1.4–6.3 kg); average 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) for females and 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg) for males
TRIVIA
  • The white-tailed deer is an iconic symbol of the American wilderness. Davy Crockett and his buckskin attire symbolized how Americans adapted to their environment and conquered the vast wilderness. Whitetail-related stories like The Yearling and Bambi are a part of the national culture. Deer hunting is also an extremely popular sport and an important source of income in many rural areas.
  • Many collegiate and professional sports teams are named after the whitetail, including the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.
  • A profile of a whitetail buck’s head appears on the state flag and the coat of arms of the state of Vermont.

Click to enlarge an image
State Animal
Male White-tailed Deer (Buck)
State Animal
Female White-tailed Deer (Doe) with Fawn
State Animal
Young Spotted Fawn
State Animal
White-tailed Deer with New Antler Growth

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Cervidae
Subfamily:Capreolinae
Genus:Odocoileus
Species:O. virginianus
Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Author: World Trade Press

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