Mule Deer fawn

Description:

California mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus californicus, is a subspecies of mule deer whose range covers much of the state of California. This species is widespread throughout northern and central California in the California coastal prairie as well as inner coastal ranges and interior mountains, especially the Sierra Nevada. This deer will much less frequently be found on the floor of the interior valleys, and then it will mostly frequent riparian zones[1]. Generally this species has a preference for hill terrain, especially an oak woodland habitat. The California mule deer is a browser and will typically take over ninety percent of its diet from shrubs and leaves and the balance from grasses. One of the principal means of distinguishing the closely related black-tailed deer and white-tailed deer is the growth habit of the buck's antlers. In the case of the California mule deer, the antlers fork in an upward growth, whereas the other species' antlers grow in a forward direction

Habitat:

coastal foothills