Skip to main content
page-banner

White-tailed Deer

Ohio State Mammal

White-tailed deer doe; free photo courtesy of Nature of New England.

Official State Mammal of Ohio

Ohio designated the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as the official state animal in 1988. Eleven states have designated the iconic white-tailed deer as a state symbol. All State Mammals

The beautiful and graceful white-tailed deer is able to run up to 40 miles per hour, jump 9 foot fences, and swim 13 miles per hour. The white underside of the deer's tail waves when running and is flashed as a warning when danger is sensed.

White-tailed deer were important to Ohio’s native people and European settlers; the deer's meat was used for food, the hide for clothing, and the bones and antlers were used for tools.

Images

Videos