White Tailed Deer

Facts About Deer

Must Know Facts About Deer

Most people are unaware of the fact that there are actually over 90 species of deer around the world. This is largely due to the fact that there are really only two different species that dominate in the United States, those two being the white tailed deer and the mule deer. There are actually a lot in interesting facts about deer that the average person is completely unaware of. Below you will find some of the most interesting facts known.

One thing that most people are completely unaware of is that male deer actually shed their antlers each year. A male deer's antlers are used in their pursuit of a female during the mating season. They will often fight with other male deer for the attention of a female in the area. They will also use them to mark territory. Once the mating season has come to an end they shed their antlers and then grow them again in the spring.

Another fun fact is that deer are believed to have a sense of smell that is 100 times that of humans. While there is no way to prove this to be the case, there is a great deal of evidence from their ability to detect the presence of a threat, especially when they are down wind from them. It is also believed that their sense of hearing is so strong that it may be possible that they not only can hear sounds extremely far off, but that they may even be able to tell how far off the sound they heard originated from.

One of the well known facts about deer is that they tend to be most active during the early morning and evening hours. It is not clear as to why this is the case, but scientists do have a theory. They believe that deer have the ability to see best during these hours because the see on the ultraviolet wavelength. This would be a great explanation for why they seem to be most active when the sun is just coming up or setting.

White tailed deer, one of the most common types of deer that are found in the United States, are believed to have a very short lifespan. In fact, the average deer usually is only able to survive for 2 to 4 years in the wild. This is due to a number of factors including hunting, disease, injury and illness. However, when a white tailed deer lives in captivity they have been recorded living as long as 20 years.

One of the most interesting facts about deer is that they do communicate with each other. Not only do they make a variety of noises to warn each other of impending danger, but they also have body movements that do as well. For instance, they may twitch their ears in a certain way to alert others that something is in the area. Deer are incredibly in tuned to their natural environment and are actually quite social beings. In fact, they often travel in what is known as a herd as a means of protection against predators.

There are a great deal of things that most people do not know about the many types of deer. Most of what is known by the average person is used for hunting purposes but they are actually quite interesting beings that often live along side humans with creating much, if any, disruption. If you really want to understand just how social and intelligent deer are there is so much more you can learn. The facts above were really just some basic facts that are rather interesting.