Mammal

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!

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.

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!