Lake Shore Deer

This deer was along the shores of Yellowstone lake on the west end. Mule deer are commonly seen browsing in open, shrubby areas between dusk and... more

by Wildlife Fine Art

Title

Lake Shore Deer

Artist

Wildlife Fine Art

Medium

Photograph - Prints / Licensing

Description

This deer was along the shores of Yellowstone lake on the west end. Mule deer are commonly seen browsing in open, shrubby areas between dusk and dawn. They browse shrubs, trees and occasional grasses and forbs and retreat to tree cover to bed down during the day. A deer sleeps for only five minutes a day,although it may rest much more. Odocoileus hemionus is the scientific name of a mule deer. It is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. The most noticeable differences between whitetails and mule deer are the size of their ears, the color of their tails, and the configuration of their antlers. In many cases, body size is also a key difference. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail's is not.A mule deer does not “flag” its tail (like a white-tailed deer), but often bounces away in a motion called “stotting,” in which all four hooves push off the ground at the same time. With each bound, a mule deer may jump as high as two feet and as far as 15 feet. A mule deer may not escape as fast as a white-tailed deer, but a mule deer is more effective in quickly moving through rugged terrain.

Uploaded

September 27th, 2015