- California Mule Deer
Taxobox
name = California Mule Deer
status = LR/lc
image_width = 240px
image_caption = A doe and her fawns inAuburn, CA
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
ordo =Artiodactyla
familia =Cervidae
genus = "Odocoileus "
species = "O. hemionus"
trinomial = "Odocoileus hemionus californicus"California Mule Deer, "Odocoileus hemionus californicus", is a subspecies of
Mule Deer whose range covers much of the state ofCalifornia . Thisspecies is widespread throughout northern and central California in theCalifornia coastal prairie as well as innercoastal range s and interior mountains, especially the Sierra Nevada. This deer will much less frequently be found on the floor of the interiorvalley s, and then it will mostly frequentriparian zone s [Howard Clark, "Occurrence of California Mule Deer in the SouthernSan Joaquin Valley ", Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society, 40:127-128] . Generally this species has a preference for hill terrain, especially anoak woodland habitat . The California Mule Deer is a browser and will typically take over ninety percent of its diet from shrubs and leaves and the balance from grasses. One of the principal means of distinguishing the closely relatedBlack-tailed deer andWhite-tailed deer is the growth habit of the buck'santler s. In the case of the California Mule Deer, the antlers fork in an upward growth, whereas the other species' antlers grow in a forward direction [Taylor, Walter P., "The Deer of North America" Stackpole Company. Harrisburg, PA. 668 pages (1956)] .History of the species
Since prehistoric times Native Americans of California are known to have hunted California Mule Deer. Thus, since about 12,000 BC, Gage suggests that human
population s have served as a control to the numbers of California Mule Deer [Timothy Gage, "HumanEcology ", Springer Netherlands, ISSN 0300-7839 (Print) 1572-9915, Volume 7, Number 3, September, 1979] . In the modern era, sinceEurope ans settled in California, hunting pressure intensified as the human population expanded and hunting became an activity not only associated with food supply. In addition human population growth (through urban development) in California has consumed large amounts of natural habitat of the California Mule Deer starting in the early 1800s and continuing through the present.Browsing behavior
California Mule Deer usually browse close to lakes or streams providing their water source. From that reference point of water consumption they may roam one to two miles, and typically make their beds in grassy areas beneath trees within such a one mile distance radius from both water and forage.Repeated beds will often be scratched to a nearly level surface, about two meters in diameter. Less regularly used bedding areas are manifested as flattened grass. On hot summer days California Mule Deer often seek shade and rest in the mid-day.
In summer, California Mule Deer mainly browse on leaves of small trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, but also consume many types of
berry (includingblackberry ,huckleberry ,salal andthimbleberry . In winter, they may expand their forage toconifer s (particularly twigs of Douglas fir),aspen ,willow ,dogwood ,juniper , andsage . Year-round, they will feed onacorn s; grasses are a secondary food source. Where humans have encroached on historic deer habitat by suburban development or orchards, California Mule Deer will diversify their diet withgarden plant material, with tree fruit, and, occasionally, even with pet food.Fawns and does tend to forage together in familial groupings while bucks tend to travel singly or with other bucks. California Mule Deer browse most actively near dawn and dusk, but will also forage at night in open
agricultural areas or when experiencinghunting pressure.Breeding
Rutting season occurs in autumn when the
doe s comes intoestrus for a period lasting only several days. Males manifest aggressive in competing for mates. Does will begin oestrus again if they do not mate. Thegestation period is approximately 200 days, with fawns arriving in the spring; the young will remain with mothers throughout the summer and become weaned in the autumn. The buck's antlers fall off in the winter-time and commence growing once more in spring in anticipation of next autumn's rut.References
ee also
*
Bovid
*California coastal prairie
*Mountain lion External links
* [http://www.sierrapacktrip.com/flora_fauna.html Overview of Western Sierra Fauna]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.