Body length:
4 1/2 - 6 3/4'
Diet: Green plants, acorns, and woody material
White-tailed deer are the most frequently seen large animal at Tonto National
Monument. Smaller and more graceful than mule deer,
white-tailed deer are easily distinguished by their bushy white tail, which
curls upward when the deer "hightails it", or runs away.
White-tailed deer graze in grassland areas on the upper slopes of Cave Creek
Canyon in winter, and come down to the creek near the Visitor Center to drink
during dry months. They are excellent runners, and have been clocked at up to
40 mph. Nevertheless, these deer are preyed upon by many carnivores, including
mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats,
and humans. Approximately 100,000,000 pounds of venison from this species is
harvested by hunters in the US each year.
NPS
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Updated
May 8, 2005