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White tailed deerWhite tailed deer

Mammal

White tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

The White tailed deer is the most common cervidae in Québec.
White Tailed Deer
Slender body
Long slim legs
Reddish brown fur
White fur present on the belly, on the throat, along the inside of the legs, around the eyes and beneath the tail
Males grow antlers
Fact sheet
Did you know?
What’s in a name?
White-Tailed Deer in the field
View on back
Did you know?
Here in Québec people are sometime confused about my name. The first French settlers mistook me for their native “chevreuil” and among the francophone populations the name stuck. So while I am commonly called “chevreuil” by francophones this is inaccurate as that species lives in Europe while I cover the North American territory. I can’t imagine how the mistake occurred though since they are much smaller than me weighing only 20 kg!
Adaptation
Not a big fan of winter!
White-Tailed Deer in the field
View on back
Adaptation
I don’t have big strong legs like the Woodland caribou and I have trouble moving around when there is more than 50 cm of snow on the ground. To survive during the winter I gather with my fellow White tailed deer in coniferous forests to protect ourselves from the cold and the wind.
Physical capacities
A very useful secret code to warn about danger
White-Tailed Deer in the field
View on back
Physical capacities
To warn the others in the herd of approaching danger, such as the presence of a predator, we use a secret code! We quickly but silently raise our tails revealing the white fur underneath that acts as a warning flag. The other deer then know it’s time to flee!
White tailed deer in the field
Come see the White-tailed deer
White tailed deer
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