Summary ⁷

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer. However, some genetic studies have indicated that mule deer may have developed relatively recently through the interbreeding of white-tailed and black-tailed deer, which may have evolved from white-tailed deer thousands of years ago. Unlike the related white-tailed deer...

Description ⁸

Mule Deer live in a broad range of habitats - forests, deserts, and brushlands. Mountain populations migrate to higher elevation in warmer months, looking for nutrient-rich new-grown grasses, twigs, and shrubs. They maintain separate summer and winter ranges, connected by a migratory pathway. In milder climates, they do not migrate. They live in small social groups of about three, except during the winter, when large groups may come together to feed in open meadows. Females tend to stay close to where they were born. Males disperse farther, establish their own territories, and compete for access to females during the October and November breeding season. The males lose their antlers after breeding and grow new ones yearly, with each set becoming larger than the previous one. Newborns, with spotted coats, are well-camouflaged.

Adaptation: The remarkable evolution of running adaptations is evident in comparing the same (homologous) wrist and hand bones of the Mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus (image on the left), with a primitive type of versatile hand, like that of a Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus (image on the right).

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account

Sources and Credits

1. (c) thaths, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/34816987@N00/2191297464
2. (c) CHULABUSH KHATANCHAROEN, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3045/13070509245_9ebf47e03d_o.jpg
3. (c) Wayne Dumbleton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3465751948_7bc236eb41.jpg
4. Hillebrand, Steve, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/20937.jpg
5. Hillebrand, Steve, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/20697.jpg
6. Hillebrand, Steve, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/20841.jpg
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odocoileus_hemionus
8. (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/6625280

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• ASM Mammal Diversity Database
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• CalPhotos
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• iNaturalist Mammal Working Group
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• VertNet

Range Map

(c) Barcode of Life Data Systems, some rights reserved (CC-BY)

iNat Map