Compare And Contrast Winter And White Tailed Deer Essay

Unlike some mammals, the white-tailed deer do not hibernate during the winter, instead they survive by shedding their summer coat and growing a heavier winter one. This winter coat consists of dense underfur and is made up of hollow hair shafts, and these adaptions provide the deer with insulation. White-tailed deer also have special skin muscles that allow them to manipulate the hair shafts on their back and provide more insulation. Additionally, in order to prepare for the winter months, deer eat more, adding extra layers of fat to their bodies. Deer can store about 25% their body weight as fat. Because the storage of energy is so important during the wintertime, deer have periods of "rest" or metabolic slowness. In this period not only does