Mule Deer: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Deer and Pronghorn · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. This deer of western North America is named for its ears: they are big, just like a mule's.
2. It can run, but it is often seen bouncing along instead, all four hooves hitting the ground at once. This is called stotting.
3. A buck's antlers split into forks as they grow. A white-tailed deer's antlers instead branch off one main beam.
4. It is far from a fussy eater: across 99 diet studies, mule deer were found eating some 788 kinds of plants.
5. Mule deer seem to migrate from memory. They follow the same path every year, even when the food along the way has changed.

The quiz

1. What is the mule deer named after?

• Its loud bray
• Its stubborn temper
• Its large, mule-like ears (correct)
• Its mule-coloured coat

It is named for its big ears, like those of a mule.

2. What happens when a mule deer is stotting?

• All four hooves land together (correct)
• It walks on its hind legs
• It swims across a river
• It crawls low through the grass

When stotting, all four feet come down at the same time.

3. How do a mule deer buck's antlers grow?

• From one main beam with branches
• Flat like shovels
• As a single straight spike
• Splitting into forks (correct)

They fork as they grow, unlike a white-tailed deer's.

4. About how many kinds of plants did diet studies find mule deer eating?

• About 8
• About 788 (correct)
• About 25
• Only 3

In 99 studies, some 788 plant species were eaten.

5. How do mule deer seem to find their migration route?

• By following rivers
• By watching the stars
• By memory, taking the same path each year (correct)
• By following flocks of birds

They appear to migrate from memory, year after year on one path.

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