Young Deer

All animals are very vulnerable at birth from predators. The whitetail deer is no exception! But whitetails have created many defenses to combat their hazards, helping them to exist among the elements of nature. Double click on the image to see a better view.



These fawns were captured on camera behind my mother n laws house last summer..notice the spots...not a bright picture..sorry if you cant see..

The spots on a deer help them blend into their surroundings since the young deer can't flee from their predators as well as when they are older. A mature deer can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances. What the dictionary calls short is ridiculous..I've seen them run up to a mile going that fast.




When the whitetail is born, they have a potential life span of 15 years, but usually the whitetail only lives to be around 2 years old. Light plays a critical role in their ability to survive. The fading sun helps the deer realize its now time to rise from their bedding area and start to feed. The fawn understands this by following the momma deer, eating clover, corn, soybeans, and vegetation that are succulent to the deer's palette. They use their eyes well at night. They have adapted to the darkness by packing more light sensing rods in the retina, and their pupils are larger. This adaptation allows them to see better at night, thus allowing more light to enter. Eye shine in nocturnal creatures is produced by mirror like cells called a tepidum. They capture light and reflect it back on the retina; this unique feature further enhances the deer's ability to see in the dark.





Besides moving around in the dark, their best adaptation and predator evading sense is their nose. Receptors in their nose are supposedly 100 times better than a human, and they can detect all different smells in a melting pot of aromas. To tell you that in another way, if a deer could smell a room full of people. The deer could identify every perfume, deodorant, gum chewing individual, and every ingredient that makes up the scents of that room. Yes, their nose is that good!