Seasonality of White-Tailed Deer essays

Seasonality of White-Tailed Deer essays Deer are one of the most abundant mammals on earth. Their capability to adapt easily to the environment around them allows deer populations to prosper. Because deer can meet their needs in almost any ecological area, they are a numerous species. Although they can be found almost anywhere in the world, white-tailed deer are mainly found in the Western Hemisphere. Ranging from southern Canada to South America, white-tailed deer inhabit a large geographical area. White-tailed deer experience dramatic changes in their surrounding environment and in their own biology during the course of a year. More specifically, deer express very noticeable changes in their diet, their antlers, and their coat or pelage as the seasons change. The white-tailed deers changes allow them to survive through the fluctuations in temperature and available food sources that occur over the year. Because they are able to adapt to the seasonal changes taking place in their environment, white-tailed deer are able to survive, reproduce, and prosper. Because White-tailed deer have such high metabolisms, they require very large amounts of food. A deer weighing 100 to 150 pounds needs four to six pounds (6,300 to 9,900 calories) of high quality food daily to meet its nutritional needs (Hiller 18). In order to meet their daily food requirements, deer spend most of their time eating and searching for food. The types and amounts of foods that deer eat vary depending on the quality of the food and the current season. During the summer, fields flourish with new growth and forests are abundant with young, growing shoots. Because the summer is a time of abundance, deer have a wide range of food sources. Although scientists and researchers are unable to explain a deers ability to choose the most nutritious food, it is well documented that deer seem to choose food that is best for them (Nelson 35). Because the most nutritious p...