Key Deer
The Key Deer is a small species (in population
and in stature) of deer
that lives in the Florida Keys. It is in the same
family as the Virginia white
tailed deer. The Key Deer is about 26 inches
tall and weigh an average of about
55 pounds. The males have antlers, and
the antlers grow in cycles. They drop
their antlers at the beginning of
spring, and they grow back by June. The deer
feed on indigenous plants
including the red mangrove, the black mangrove, and
the white mangrove. The
Key Deer can drink water with some salt in it, but needs
fresh water to
survive. Although it seems awkward, the Key Deer is a fairly good
swimmer,
and at times will swim from key to key. The Key Deer are endangered for
two
main reasons, the first and most detrimental is the loss of habitat.
The
Everglades has been cleared away for highways, and other
commercial
developments, and it has caused a huge drop in the population of
Key Deer, among
other animals. Another big reason why Key Deer have been
disappearing are the
highways in southern Florida. You have heard the
expression "like a deer in
headlights", and it is used because when deer see
headlights, it freezes.
This, although it makes for a good simile, causes
a lot of road kill accidents
with Key Deer. The National Key Deer Refuge was
opened to breed Key Deer, and
since its opening, the population has increased
by almost %600!!! Also, Ms.
Riskin, please make sure that you do not feed
any Key Deer, because it causes
them to be comfortable around humans, which
sounds nice, but it is part of the
reason that they hang around near the
highway. So, that just about sums it up;
thanks for not feeding Key Deer, and
keep your foot on those breaks.
Bibliography
"Key
Deer"
February, 2000
http://www.shadow.net/~grgreen/glades/deer.html
Kirkpatrick, Charles M.
"Deer" The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume D, 1986
R., Austin. "Key Deer"
February, 2000 http://www.miamisci.org/ecolinks/everglades/keydeerinfo.html