A white-tailed deer is a common species of deer found throughout North and South America, named for the distinctive white underside of its tail. When the deer senses danger, it raises its tail like a flag, flashing the bright white fur as a warning signal to other deer while bounding away in powerful leaps.

These graceful animals are medium-sized, with adults standing about three to four feet tall at the shoulder. Male white-tailed deer, called bucks, grow antlers each year that they shed every winter. Female deer, called does, don't grow antlers. The deer's coat changes with the seasons: reddish-brown in summer and grayish-brown in winter, providing camouflage in different environments.

White-tailed deer are remarkably adaptable, living everywhere from deep forests to suburban neighborhoods. They're herbivores, eating leaves, twigs, acorns, and farm crops. Their ability to thrive near humans has made them one of North America's most successful large mammals. In many areas, white-tailed deer have become so numerous that they cause problems by eating gardens, causing car accidents, and damaging forests by overbrowsing young trees.

Native Americans depended on white-tailed deer for food, clothing, and tools for thousands of years. The species remains an important game animal today, and many states carefully manage deer populations through regulated hunting seasons.