Life Cycles

What is a Life Cycle? Series of orderly and identifiable changes that occur over time in both plants and animals

But First…

The White Tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus These are the smallest members of the deer family found in North America. They are found all over North America and even some in South America.

Where They Live

Typically, they live in fields and meadows, using forests as shade in the summer. In winter, they keep to forests to have better shelter from bad weather.

Where They Live

What does it Eat? White-tailed deer are herbivores. They graze on most available plant foods. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi.

When does it sleep? The deer will occasionally venture out in the daylight hours. But, white-tailed deer are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, browsing mainly at dawn and dusk.

Why do they look the way they do?

Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. Male deer, called bucks, are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Only the bucks grow antlers, which bear a number of tines, or sharp points.

Interesting Fact! During the mating season, bucks fight over territory by using their antlers in sparring matches.

Why do they look the way they do? Young deer, called fawns, wear a reddish-brown coat with white spots that helps them blend in with the forest.

Interesting Fact! Females will have one to three babies at a time. This happens usually in May or June.

So what is the white tail for? The deer will display their white tail and wag it when it senses danger.

Let’s Review Some Vocab Prey an animal that is hunted and killed by another for food. Predator an animal that naturally preys on others.

Does the deer have a prey?

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Does the deer have predators? BobcatsMountain LionsCoyotes Wolves Bears Jaguars

Some More Facts Average Lifespan: 6-14 years Weight: pounds Name of the group: herd Size compared to a 6-ft human:

Some Vocab to Think About Fawn Yearling Doe Buck