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mule deer
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Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus) with large antlers standing in a snowy field with shrubs in the background. male mule deer Illustration of a black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) standing with its head lowered, showing its brown coat, white underbelly, and branched antlers.
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Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus) with large antlers standing in a snowy field with shrubs in the background.
mule deer Mule deer buck (Odocoileus hemionus).

mule deer

mammal
Also known as: Odocoileus hemionus
Written by
Valerius Geist
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science, Faculty of Environmental Design, The University of Calgary. Author of Deer of the World and Mule Deer Country.
Valerius Geist
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
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mule deer, (Odocoileus hemionus), a medium-sized, gregarious deer of western North America that derives its name from its large ears. Mule deer also have striking pelage markings, large antlers, and scent glands. Large bucks rarely exceed 95 kg (210 pounds); does weigh about a third less. Mule deer belong to Capreolinae, the New World subfamily of the deer family, Cervidae (order Artiodactyla). They are found from the Arctic Circle in the Yukon to northern Mexico....

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