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Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

Photo by BrandonBlount
Published on Project Noah
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39.4529, -105.423

Field Notes

Description:

"A deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer. Unlike its cousin, the white-tailed deer, mule deer are generally more associated with the land west of the Missouri River, or more specifically, with the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Mule deer have also been introduced to Kauai (Hawaii) and Argentina.[3] 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. Mule deer antlers are bifurcated; in other words, they "fork" as they grow, rather than branching from a single main beam, as is the case with whitetails. Each spring, after mating season, a buck's antlers start to regrow almost immediately after the old antlers are shed. Shedding typically takes place in mid February, with variations occurring by locale. Although capable of running, mule deer often prefer to stot, with all four feet coming down together."

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

Habitat:

The pictures of this Mule Deer were taken right at dusk in the Rocky Mountains outside of Pine, CO.

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Photographed
PublishedOctober 7, 2011

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