# What Do White-tailed Deer Eat?

> What white-tailed deer eat: Herbivore, foraging style, and seasonal shifts in Woodland, edges, and farmland.

- **Species:** White-tailed Deer (*Odocoileus virginianus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Herbivore
- **Habitat:** Woodland, edges, and farmland
- **Lifespan:** 6–10 years in the wild
- **Top speed:** 48 km/h (30 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-tailed-deer/what-do-white-tailed-deer-eat/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-tailed-deer/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The white-tailed deer is a medium-sized deer named for the white underside of its tail, which it flashes as an alarm signal. Found from Canada to South America, bucks grow and shed antlers each year, and the species can run up to 48 km/h (30 mph) and leap tall fences. Wild white-tailed deer typically live 6 to 10 years.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a captive feeding plan from a veterinarian. This page is wild diet, not a pet-care sheet.

## The warning flag

The deer's name comes from its tail, which is brown above and bright white underneath. When alarmed it raises the tail like a flag, flashing the white to warn other deer and signal that it has been spotted before bounding away.

## Help protect the White-tailed Deer

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

---
Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-tailed-deer/what-do-white-tailed-deer-eat/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.