Do Deer Have Stripes
There are so many color variations in deer, it can be tough to keep them all straight. This guide explains the differences in albino, white, piebald and more. Whitetail deer with black stripes on their backs are a rare but fascinating sight.
These unique markings appear to be caused by a genetic mutation, and have been reported in several states across the United States. While these deer don't appear to have any functional purpose, they certainly make for an interesting conversation piece! Those landscapes look very different and have different predators and, therefore, different selective pressures. Do a fawn's spots look different in different places too? That's what a group of researchers wondered.
Free Stock Photo of Striped Deer | Download Free Images and Free ...
A paper recently published looked at the heritability and predictability of spot patterns in 3 white. This deer with the black stripe down it's back and dots on both sides started showing up with my regular herd. Anyone ever seen these markings before? Male White-Tailed Deer Female White-Tailed Deer White-Tailed Deer Reddish-brown to blue-gray or tan coloring; underside of tail is white, producing a "flag" when raised off the rump.
Antlers on the male primarily consist of a main beam with tines growing from it. Maximum antler size occurs between 5. Hunters do see dark deer with some frequency, but to witness an actual melanistic deer is rare.
Striped Deer | A striped deer from the Bronx Zoo | Susan | Flickr
Albino: Albino white-tailed deer are totally white, and true albinos have pink eyes from a lack of pigement in their eyes. Albanism results from recessive genes and is more common than melanism. This comprehensive article about Piebald Deer explains the unique characteristics of this genetic mutation, and how rare Piebald deer are.
A stripe of darker fur can be seen running along their spine, while their ears, inner legs and throat are all white. Although smaller females and young males may be mistaken for the fawns of white-tailed deer, Axis deer are typically taller and longer. I have done some research on whitetail deer and their colors.
African Striped Deer | At the Bronx Zoo | Nick Stewart | Flickr
Whitetail deer are usually brown and white. But there are variations, from all black to all white and a combination of brown and white. The hair color of a normally brown whitetail might vary in a wide array of shades and patterns.
Black or nearly black is called melanism. It is caused by over- production of melanin, a chemical. Thanks to their efforts, here are 10 interesting facts about color variation in white-tailed deer: 1.
Color variations are the most frequently observed anomaly in white.
