Rollins White-Tailed Deer Traditional Cache
Rollins White-Tailed Deer
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This one is named after the Deer that are abundant in this area.
The White-Tailed Deer is the adaptable new world counterpart to the
Roe Deer in Europe. Its size and appearance varies according to the
geographical location in which it lives, with larger animals being
found at more northerly latitudes, while further south the smallest
kinds of White-Tailed Deer occur. The White-Tailed Deer is thinly
built, and high legged, with a thin slender neck and gracile head.
The tail is long and bushy, and as the name implies has a white
underside. The rump patch is also white. The coat is a greyish
brown colour during the summer, and in the winter is darker. There
are often numerous white patches on the sides of the face and
sometimes along the side of the body. The antlers are complex and
many tined. They grow first outwards and backwards, before turning
to point forwards and more inwards. There can be up to 15 tines, 3
or 4 of which point backwards. Habitat This is a very adaptable
species. Originally a woodland deer, it has adapted well to the
changes made to the American landscape by man, and has successfully
colonised agricultural areas, and is even found in some urban
suburbs. The clearances of the north American forests and the
production of more open forests has benefited the White-Tailed Deer
greatly and has led to a large increase in its numbers. As well as
this many of its former predators are either now absent or occur at
much lower densities than before, meaning White-Tailed numbers
remain high. Distribution The White-Tailed Deer is found throughout
North America, only being absent from parts of the southwest that
are too arid for it to survive in. It is most numerous in the east,
and it occurs from the north of Canada, to Florida, and southwards
into South America. Because of their large distribution many
subspecies have developed, those in the cold north being larger
than those in the south. In Florida the smallest subspecies occur,
and these weigh only about 25 kg. The deer living in the south of
its range have a tropical lifestyle while those living further
north have lives that are governed by the seasons. Behaviour During
the winter months they gather together into large herds of many
hundreds, but in the spring these large herds begin to break up.
They can be active throughout the day and the night. When they
sense an approaching predator there behaviour is very distinctive,
they leap away with great leaping bounds lifting their tail high so
the white underside is clearly visible. They also emit a
distinctive whistling alarm call. They have a number of natural
predators including wolves, coyote, pumas and jaguars. They feed on
grasses and woodland herbaceous plants, they are also a pest
species feeding on agricultural crops. Reproduction There
reproductive cycle varies depending on the geographical location at
which they occur. In north eastern America the rut takes place in
November, but further south where they lie in tropical conditions
reproduction can occur throughout the year. Fighting between the
rutting males can be fierce. There are prodigious breeders, after a
7-month gestation period normally two calves are born, but
occasionally 3 can be born. The calves stay hidden for the first
few days of their life, being visited regularly by their mother to
be fed. When they are able to accompany their mother they remain
with her as she feeds. They are weaned at 4 months of age, but do
not become fully independent until they are at least a year of age.
Additional Hints
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