Animals On The Go

The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer or gray deer, is a species of artiodactyl mammal from the Cervidae family.

It inhabits various ecosystems across the Americas, from the subarctic regions of Canada, through the dry forests on the mountain slopes of Mexico, the humid tropical jungles of Central and South America, to the dry equatorial forests in northern Peru and other wooded areas in South America.

Its diet mainly consists of shrubs and grasses. Although it is heavily hunted throughout its range, it is not considered an endangered species.

In 1993, the National Congress of Honduras designated the white-tailed deer as the national symbol of the country’s wildlife. Similarly, Odocoileus virginianus was declared the national symbol of Costa Rica in 1995.