{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "mule-deer",
  "name": "Mule Deer",
  "scientificName": "Odocoileus hemionus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "Mule deer are named for their large mule-like ears and black-tipped tail, ranging across western North America from Canada to Mexico. Bucks weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb), bound stiff-legged when fleeing ('stotting'), and migrate seasonally in many mountain populations.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Artiodactyla",
    "family": "Cervidae",
    "genus": "Odocoileus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 90,
    "lengthM": 1.8,
    "topSpeedKmh": 48,
    "lifespanYears": 11
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Odocoileus hemionus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore — browse, forbs, grasses, and acorns"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Western forests, sagebrush, deserts, and foothills of North America"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "9–11 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "Bucks 55–150 kg; does 43–75 kg"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 48 km/h (30 mph); stotting escape gait"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Western North America from Alaska and British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains, Great Basin, and deserts to Baja California and central Mexico.",
    "continents": [
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Odocoileus hemionus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Odocoileus%20hemionus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Odocoileus hemionus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Odocoileus_hemionus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Mule Deer.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mule-deer/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mule-deer/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}