What's Moving with Madi
December 26, 2022
In the spirit of the holidays, lets talk about deer!
White-tailed deer, like the ones pictured here, are the only member of the Cervidae family in Indiana. The Cervidae family includes deer, elk, moose, and yes you guessed it reindeer!
Although we don't have any reindeer here in Indiana, we have plenty of white-tailed deer. As their name would suggest white-tailed deer have a tail with long white fur. When threatened, white-tailed deer wag and flare up their tail to display they sense danger.
Female white-tailed deer are very protective of their babies, known as fawns. Mother deer will leave their babies for long periods of time while they look for food. During this time fawns lay flat on the ground and wait for their mother to return. Fawns are well camouflaged due to their brown, spotted coats.
Even though you won't find any reindeer on CLTLC's preserves here are some fun facts about them!
- Reindeer and caribou are the same animal! In North America caribou are called reindeer if they are domesticated and Caribou if they are wild.
- Santa's reindeer are all girls! Male and female reindeer grow antlers, but they shed them at different parts of the year. Male reindeer shed their antlers in November, before Christmas. Whereas female reindeer keep their antlers through winter to protect their territory. Females don't shed their antlers until spring. Since Santa's reindeer all have horns they must be girls!
Happy Holidays and keep an eye out for more What's Moving content in 2023!
