{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "white-tailed-deer",
  "name": "White-tailed Deer",
  "scientificName": "Odocoileus virginianus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "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.",
  "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": 10
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Odocoileus virginianus"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodland, edges, and farmland"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "6–10 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "45–135 kg (100–300 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "48 km/h (30 mph)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Woodlands and forest edges from southern Canada through Central America into northern South America.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Odocoileus virginianus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Odocoileus%20virginianus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Odocoileus virginianus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Odocoileus_virginianus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — White-tailed Deer.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/white-tailed-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/white-tailed-deer/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}