What animals are in the Odocoileus genus?
Two species occur in the region today: Odocoileus hemionus, the Mule Deer, and O. virginianus, the White-tailed Deer.
What are the characteristics of Odocoileus?
| Species | Distinguishing features |
|---|---|
| Odocoileus virginianus (Whitetail deer) | Light color, lively, elegant, large tail with brown on top, white on bottom, antlerts have many tines off the main beam |
| Odocoileus hemionus (Mule deer) | Stocky, mainly grey, large ears, large escutcheon, antlers have more tines than the whitetail deer |
What is the meaning of Odocoileus?
Definition of Odocoileus : a genus including the Virginia deer, mule deer, black-tailed deer, and related American species.
What genus is the white-tailed deer in?
OdocoileusWhite-tailed deer / GenusOdocoileus is a genus of medium-sized deer containing three species native to the Americas. The name is sometimes spelled odocoeleus; it is from a contraction of the roots odonto- and coelus meaning “hollow-tooth”. Wikipedia
What did whitetail deer evolve from?
Whitetail deer evolved from a similar species known as Odocoileus brachyodontus that existed from about 3.9-3.5 million years BP. O. brachyodontus had different teeth and antlers from O. virginiana, but otherwise was a similar animal.
What animal has a white tail?
| White-tailed deer | |
|---|---|
| Subfamily: | Capreolinae |
| Genus: | Odocoileus |
| Species: | O. virginianus |
| Binomial name |
How old do Whitetails live?
Deer can live to 16 years in the wild, but usually only lives about 2 to 3 years and rarely past 10 years.
How big do Whitetails get?
150 lbsMale, Adult, In Summer
100 lbsFemale, Adult, In Summer
White-tailed deer/Mass
What is the oldest species of deer?
The white-tailed deer predates the Ice Ages and is the oldest extant deer species. It became abundant only after the last glaciation when the indigenous Ice Age fauna of the Americas became extinct and competitive and predation pressures were lifted.
Do white bucks exist?
Most people, like my grandfather, refer to white deer as “albinos.” While deer can be albinos, it’s exceedingly rare. Albinism is a congenital condition defined by the absence of pigment, resulting in an all-white appearance and pink eyes. Many plant and animal species exhibit albinism (including humans).
Did prehistoric deer have fangs?
When deer were first evolving, they were tiny creatures that had both fangs and antlers; it was actually their default mode. In fact, they looked pretty much like the fanged deer of today. These guys haven’t changed much through the course of history.
Who can eat a deer?
Predators that eat deer include the coyote, bobcat, cougar, wild dogs and humans. If food is plentiful, deer have twins or triplets! Hunting helps keep the deer population in balance with its food supply. Many deer can now be found around cities, where there are few predators and hunting is restricted.
What dinosaur did deer evolve from?
About Megaloceros Megaloceros, also known as the Irish Elk, was a genus of deer which lived approximately 2 million to 10,000 years ago – from the Pleistocene through the Modern Period.
Did giraffes evolve from deer?
Indeed, the animals that many consider to be the precursors to deer—animals such as Syndyoceras, which seems to share features with deer, horses, giraffes and antelopes—had bony skull outgrowths similar to antlers and were found in North America some 35 mya, during the Miocene.
Why do wolves only eat the heads of salmon?
In most cases, wolves consumed only heads of salmon, perhaps for nutritional reasons or parasite avoidance. Preying on salmon may be adaptive, as this nutritious and spatially constrained resource imposes lower risks of injury compared with hunting large mammals.