The white-tailed deer has existed for more than 20 million years and is the most common deer in North America. An estimated 25 million roam the continent.
Ohio's largest game animal, the white-tailed deer has a reddish-tan and relatively short, thin coat in the summer. In the winter, the coat turns grayish-tan and heavy. The hair is hollow and provides great insulation, according to the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
The deer develops white patches on the throat, belly, tail and insides of the legs. And as it's name suggests, it has a large, white tail.
Male deer, or bucks, weigh four to 14 pounds at birth and grow to be 130 to 300 pound adults. Females, or does, weigh three to eight pounds at birth and are 120 to 150 pounds as adults.
White-tailed deer breed from late October through mid-January, with the peak activity in early to mid November. Fawns are usually born mid-May through July.
Does usually produce one fawn in their first litter. They have two and occasionally three fawns per litter in later years.
Deer are usually silent, but they snort or whistle of alarm. They also make bleat, bellow, bawl and low whining noises.
The mammal is classified into the genus Odocoileus and the species Virginianus. Most believe the name came from an 1832 scientist who found a tooth of a deer in a cave in Virginia. The tooth was hollow. Odocoileus is close to the Greek word for "hollow tooth.'' The species name is significant to the state where the scientist found the tooth.
