General Information: Desert Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus crooki) are deer of the western mountains. In this subspecies (Arizona from the south side of the Grand Canyon (east of the Colorado River) eastward to western Texas and south into Mexico), the rump and tail are white. Gray-brown color is typical of the winter pelt.
Taxonomy: Order: Artiodactyla (Even-toed Hoofed Mammals); Family: Cervidae (Deer, Elk, Moose, Caribou).
There are 11 subspecies of mule deer. In most cases, the subspecies are difficult to tell apart (except by geography). However, there are obvious differences in the tails of some subspecies: some have black tails, some have white tails, and some have white tails with a black tip. |