Week 11 Adopt-a-Species assignment

The following information is a report on selective breeding potentials Odocoileus hemionus or Mule Deer. The following is the complete classification:

Kingdom: Animala
Phylum: Craniata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Odocoileus

The Mule Tail deer has some similarities from its cousin the White Tail Deer with features that help it adapt to its environment. It has large ears and moves a lot. The name “Mule” comes from the similarity of a mule or burro. The Mule Deer does not run it leaps on all four legs and can reach a speed of up to 45 m.p.h. The male is larger than the female and the male has antlers that begin to grow in the spring.
The Mule Deer is much slower than and not as colorful as the White Tail. To disguises its self from predators it uses its grey-buffed color as a physical adaptation to hide from cougars, coyotes, etc.
The Mule Deer has another feature that helps him adapt to the land with little water. The feet of a Mule Deer are extremely large and help him dig at the ground to get to water. It has been noted that he can dig up to two feet.
The habitat of the Mule Deer has a various regions. They can live anywhere from the forest to deserts or high elevations, pending on the season. It has been noted that the preference is open and rocky hillsides. The Mule Deer is found in both the United States in AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID,KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA and WY and in Canada in AB, BC, MB, NT, SK and YT. The Mule Deer is mostly endangered in Oklahoma and the second most endangered is in Texas, Colorado and in parts of Canada.
Mating season for the Mule tale is usually in November to December. Both males and females travel amongst each other until mating season. A buck will then choose a doe for mating and stay with her for a couple of days. The buck who is dominated over the other bucks will win the doe. The larger bucks with the largest antlers do the majority of the breeding. By January, most bucks begin to lose their antlers and the bucks and doe’s go in separate direction.
For food the Mule Deer is an Herbivore. During the summer months they eat green leave, herbs, grass and even weeds. They like berries, mushrooms and even agriculture crops.
The decrease in the Mule deer comes from several different reasons. One is clearing the land for cattle grazing could be a reason for the increase loss of fawns to predators. Another decline has to do with automobile accidents.
To conserve the Mule deer, we have to monitor the deforestation of certain areas. Agricultural development, rangelands, mining and the building of roads and highways and housing development need to be monitored.
The Mule Deer is an animal that needs to be preserved. It provides many different things for us and we need to allow natural selection to be a part of the decrease, not humans.


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