Olly Olly Oxen Free

by Donna Kennedy

Title

Olly Olly Oxen Free

Artist

Donna Kennedy

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

Original Fine Art Photography by Donna Kennedy-
A deer playing hide & seek? No, foraging for berries :) Photographed in Verdi, Nevada...

The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a deer indigenous to western North America.
Mule Deer have large ears that move constantly and independently, from whence they get their name, "Mule" or "Burro Deer." They do not run as other deer, but have a peculiar and distinctive bounding leap (stotting) over distances up to 8 yards, with all 4 feet coming down together. In this fashion, they can reach a speed of 45 m.p.h. for short periods.
These Deer are slower and less colorful than the White-tailed Deer, but its pastel, gray-buff color provides a physical adaptation to the desert environment which disguises it from predators like the Cougar, the Coyote and the eagle who will swoop down on a fawn.
The most noticeable differences between white-tailed and mule deer are the size of their ears, the color of their tails, and the configuration of their antlers. In many cases, body size is also a key difference. The mule deer's tail is black-tipped, whereas the whitetail's is not. Mule deer antlers are bifurcated; they "fork" as they grow, rather than branching from a single main beam, as is the case with white-tails.
Mule Deer are browsers and eat a great variety of vegetable matter, including fresh green leaves, twigs, lower branches of trees, and various grasses. They are particularly fond of blackberry and raspberry vines, grapes, mistletoe, mushrooms and ferns. They eat so carefully they can even consume the fruit of cactus.

Thank you to the Administrators that Featured this photo in the following Groups:
-Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery
-Fine Art America Professionals
-Go Take A Hike Photography Group
-Our 4-Legged Friends
-Wildlife One A Day
-Vertical Images
-Just Perfect
--Out West-13 States

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July 11th, 2022

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