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Odocoileus Virginianus (White-tailed Deer)

The whitetail deer can be found throughout North America. The whitetail deer varies quite a bit in size, depending on the particular subspecies (there are 30 recognized subspecies) and the region where it is found.

The adult whitetail deer's weight averages from about 100 to 350 pounds. Mature males are generally larger than the females. The whitetail is an ungulate, or hoofed animal, with each foot ending in a cloven or two piece hoof.

The under parts of the deer's body are white with a white patch on the throat and another smaller band of white around the nose. The underside of the tail is also white. The upper body parts are colored reddish brown during the warmer months but in the fall, whitetail deer molt into their winter coats of dark, grayish brown.

For several months of the year, male whitetail deer, known as bucks, are easily recognized by the presence of antlers on their head, which the females, known as does, lack. Once in a great while female deer (doe) will also have antlers.