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White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Height:
Weight:
Tail Length:
Litter Size:
Gestation:
 3-3.5 ft.
100-350 lbs.
30 cm.
1 or 2
7 months
Status:
Overpopulation has been a problem with white-tailed deer. When there are too many deer, starvation weakens the entire population. Generally when this happens, predators such as the bobcat will attack the weakest deer and the population strengthened. Unfortunately, there are not enough predators in many ecosystems in North America. Deer have adapted to human interference, but predators were hunted down starting when the European settlers came to America. Today many states regulate hunting to strengthen the deer population and prevent overpopulation.
Report by Catamount
Picture of a Deer
Picture from ZooNet

 Physical Characteristics
The fur of the white-tailed deer is a grayish color in the winter then more red comes out during the summer. Only bucks have antlers. Young males begin to grow their antlers in the spring, then towards the fall the skin on their antlers (called velvet) begins to deteriorate. The velvet is very itchy and the young male will rub its new antlers on anything possible just to stop the horrible itch.

Habitat and Daily Life
Bucks are generally solitary but may travel is small groups. During the winter the deer often herd together to conserve heat. After the cold winter months the deer will start dispersing. White-tailed deer have relatively small territories, depending on the food supply. If there is a good source of food in one area, the deer will stay in that area and have a smaller home range. When the food source is less abundant, more traveling is needed to feed them. White-tailed deer feed on leaves, grass, berries, bark, buds, acorns, and apples. They are generally feed at night.

Reproduction
In the spring, after a gestation period of seven months, one to two fawns are born in a den. They are kept hidden in the den for the first couple weeks, then are brought out. Fawns lose their white spots during the fall mating season.