| Class: |
Mammalia |
|
||
| Order: | Artiodactyla (same as bison, sheep, pronghorn) | |||
| Family: | Cervidae (deer family) Hoofed with antlers, which are shed each year. Same family as moose and caribou. Chew cud. | |||
| Genus: | Odocoileus | |||
| Species: | hemionus | |||
| Name/ History: |
The name comes from the large ear size. | |||
| Size*: |
Male
|
Female
|
Fawn
|
|
| Weight (lbs) |
125-400
|
100-150
|
8.3
|
|
| Height** (ft) |
3-3.5
|
2.5-3
|
1.5
|
|
| Rut: | October-December males becomes highly aggressive. | |||
| Gestation: | 7 months | |||
| Birth: | June-July fawns spotted & walk soon after birth. | |||
| # young: | Usually 2 after the first | |||
| Age: | 16 years, 25 years in captivity | |||
| Habitat/ Range: |
Coniferous forest, desert shrub, grasslands. East from Oregon to the Dakotas, Canada south to northern Mexico. | |||
| Food: | Browse, grass, herbs | |||
| Enemies: | Coyotes, bobcats | |||
| Disease: | Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) | |||
| Communication: | Fawns rarely bleat, bucks grunt. Use whistling snorts of alarm or bleat to a bark if distressed. | |||
| Behavior/ Characteristics: |
Not highly gregarious or strictly solitary. Tend to be creatures of habit. | |||
* size varies with
environment
** height at shoulder