White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
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The largest wild mammal that frequents the Garden is the White-tailed Deer. There is a sizeable population of these animals living in Austin and most people see them on a regular basis, either in their yards, where they eat landscape plants, or along the roads, often dead after a collision with a vehicle. Deer are not welcome guests in a botanical garden, as their browsing does quite a bit of damage. The HPG, however, suffers little from their intrusion, as many of the plants are simply inedible.
The size of the deer in our area varies depending on the quality of the forage available, although they are highly adaptable when it comes to what they can eat to survive. Those out in the dry scrubland of the Hill Country are smaller than those that live near well-watered parks and yards with ample nutritious vegetation.
class: Mammalia / order: Artiodactyla / family: Cervidae / genus: Odocoileus / species: virginianus
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