Columbian White-tailed Deer
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| Odocoileus virginianus leucurus Douglas, 1829 |
The Columbian White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) is one of 3 subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America. It is a member of the Cervidae (deer) family, which includes mule deer, elk, moose and caribou.
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[edit] Habitat and description
The Columbian White-tailed Deer is named after the Columbia River in Washington where they congregate.
Columbian White-tailed Deer found along the lower Columbia River, on a series of islands in Clatsop and Columbia counties in Oregon. The other populations are found in the valley floors of the Umpqua River basin.
The White-tailed Deer usually live in and around riparian areas. They can also be found in brushy woodlots that contain cottonwood, willow, alder, spruce and dogwood trees.
Unlike other white-tailed deer subspecies, which may breed at six months of age, female Columbian White-tailed Deer first breed at about 18 months; they commonly have a single fawn. Male deer, or bucks, are also capable of breeding at 18 months of age.
[edit] Conservation status
The Columbian White-tailed Deer was federally listed as an endangered species in Washington and Oregon in 1967. Upon the creation of the Endangered Species Act, in 1978 the deer was federally recognized as being endangered. On July 24, 2003, after decades of trying to save the Columbian White-tailed Deer, the Douglas County, Washington population of deer was removed from the Endangered Species Act. Efforts were carried out by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Population numbers ranged from about 2,500 in the early 1980s to more than 6,000 today. It should be noted though that the deer in one region have been removed from the Act, whereas the Columbian White-tailed Deer overall still remains on the Endangered Species Act.
The Julia Butler Hansen refuge, located in Cathlamet, Washington offers critical habitat protection for the Columbian White-tailed Deer. Currently, about 300 Columbian white-tailed deer are protected on the refuge.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Deer Specialist Group (1996). Odocoileus virginianus ssp. leucurus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- Odocoileus virginianus leucurus (TSN 202408). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 7 July 2006.
