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Deer are the hoofed ruminant mammals that live mainly in the wild. Deer are iconic animals that are popular for their red, tasty meat. There are different types of deer including the reindeer, the roe deer, and the moose. But what deer live in Texas? There are 3. The knowledge gained here have increased the number and quality of deer not only in our state, but also across the country.
The State of Texas has one of the largest populations of whitetails in the country: close to four million. In addition to the two native types of deer that are native to Texas, and which can usually be easily differentiated based on their physical appearance, there are several other species of deer that have been introduced into the state of Texas for hunting purposes. In this article, we will learn more about the types of deer in Texas, as well as what makes them unique.
White-tailed deer is the largest by numbers family of deer, as well as the most widely distributed and also the most ancient deer in the whole of North America, they get their common name from the white underside of their tails, which they prominently flash when alarmed, both as a show of aggressiveness, and as a warning to others in the herd- telling them of the danger.
While there is a lot of work to be done in arranging the species in a biological group, four subspecies are historically described in Texas. Because of the protein in the brush that the deer eat, South Texas produces the largest white-tailed deer. This is especially important for mature bucks during the post-rut period, when they lose so much weight. Prickly pear is a valuable energy source for deer when they need it the most, and it grows abundantly in South Texas.
The Texas deer whitetail O. The Kansas whitetail O. Carmen Mountains whitetail O. They are fewer in population and restricted in range. The Avery Island whitetail O. Let us not forget to mention that the White-tailed deer is also the smallest member of the North American deer family and that their habitat ranges from southern Canada to South America.
In summer-time when the weather is hot they typically inhabit fields and meadows where they use trees with broad-leaves for shade. During the winter they have no choice but to keep to the forests, where there are thicker trees with more shade that can provide shelter from the harsh weather.
We are talking about the Mule deer. The mule deer gets its name from the big ears it has- the ears resemble that of a mule donkey are found in West Texas. The Mule deer do not have a white underside to their tails, but rather have a black tip. They also have an interesting feature: the males have antlers that prop out of the base as one, and then branch out. We will talk about this later in the post. The Rocky Mountain mule deer O.
Mule deer have two subspecies that claim Texas as their native range. The desert mule deer O. That is basic information about Mule deer. Let us now compare the two types of deer. The ears of mule deer are noticeably much larger than those of white-tailed deer. The tail of the mule deer is small and black-tipped. Furthermore, the antlers of mule deer bucks males are called bucks generally fork, while whitetail antler tines grow from the main beam; this is not a reliable means of identification- we must mention.
As far as ecology is concerned Texas whitetails favor heavy woods, thickets, and dense brush, while mule deer more commonly range in open country where there is plenty of sunlight and grass to eat. These choices in habitat are more openly seen where the two deer share territory: On the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle, for example, you can often find mule deer foraging on the open grasslands, while whitetails will generally stick to the thick bushes adjoining the forests.
Where shrubs and trees are more prevalent than open grasslands, you will typically find more whitetails, rather than mule deer. The Whitetail and Mule Deers are not the only types of deer that you will find within the borders of Texas. Several types of deer now reside in Texas, many of them initially imported to private ranches for game hunting purposes, and have now established themselves to varying degrees as free-roaming deer populations.
Although it will take some time for them to become as many as the two major types of deer that we have discussed, they are already now important members of the Texas wild ecosystem. Let us talk about them now:. There are about 6, feral axis deer Axis axis which is a spotted species that was imported from South Asia, as well as other exotics which include the fallow deer Dama dama , which is a small deer species that comes from Europe, and also the sika deer, which is another small native to East Asia.
So what impact do these exotic types of deer have on the ecosystem? These invasive species have impacted the ecology because they compete with native deer for the available resources.
Furthermore, the exotic species of deer may encourage the proliferation of predators such as coyotes, wolves and mountain lions. This is because they provide abundant food sources that could encourage predators to breed and multiply. This could have untold consequences to the ecosystem because the predators could then turn around to wreak havoc on the populations of the native deer species.
Lastly, the exotic deer species could have an impact on native deer species through interbreeding. Much has to be done to learn about this because there is a limit to our understanding of what circumstances could encourage the species to interbreed, and what consequences that could have for the ecosystem. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Skip to content. Whitetail Deer 2. Axis Deer Chital. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Previous Previous post: Types of Ants in Texas.
5 Types Of Deer In Texas – Animal Hype.
Mule Deer. Texas has no migratory mule deer; these species are endemic to the state. Barasingha Deer.
What deer live in texas.5 Types Of Deer In Texas
For many people deer hunting is the highlight of the fall and winter seasons. Texas is home to an estimated million white-tailed deer (Odocoileus. 1. White-Tailed Deer · 2. Mule Deer · 3. Pronghorn · 4. Axis Deer · 5. Elk. In the state of Texas, there are two species of deer that are native to the state’s vast and varied countryside: the two types are the white-.
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