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DEER

SANCTUARY WILDLIFE

DEER

A female mule deer, ears alert, looks toward the camera with a beautiful summer yellow plant in the background

Coues Deer, Odocoileus virginianus

  • Habitat: Mountain forests, wooded hills, chaparral, and desert regions
  • Status: Least concern
  • Population Trend: Stable
  • Diet: These "browsers" are herbivores, feeding on a variety of vegetation from fruits and seeds to grasses and leaves
  • Weight: 100 - 150 lbs. Females are smaller than males
  • Size: 2' - 2.5' tall; 5' - 7' long
  • Lifespan: 6 - 9 years in the wild; up to 18 years in human care
  • Wild population in Arizona: ~95,000
  • In the Southwest Wildlife Sanctuary: 4
  • Interesting Facts:
    • The annual cycle of antler growth is regulated by the changes in the length of the day. Their antlers will typically shed in the months of January-March and start growing again in the Spring.
    • Coues deer are a subspecies of Whitetail Deer.
    • "White-tailed" refers to the white underside of the deer's tail, which it displays and wags when it senses danger.

Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus

  • Habitat: Mountain forests, wooded hills, chaparral, and desert regions
  • Status: Least concern
  • Population Trend: Stable
  • Diet: These "browsers" are herbivores, feeding on a variety of vegetation from fruits and seeds to grasses and leaves.
  • Weight: 130 - 280 lbs. Females are smaller than males
  • Size: 3' - 3.5' tall; 4.5' - 7' long
  • Lifespan: 9 - 11 years in the wild; up to 25 years in human care
  • Wild population in Arizona: ~190,000
  • In the Southwest Wildlife Sanctuary: 2
  • Interesting Facts:
    • The annual cycle of antler growth is regulated by the changes in the length of the day. Their antlers will typically shed in the months of January-March and start growing again in the Spring.
    • Mule Deer get their name after their ears, which are large like a mule.
    • Mule Deer can jump 15 feet in length.

 

THE SOUTHWEST WILDLIFE DEER

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