Identify Michigan mammals with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by family and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information. Whether you happen upon an animal track or actually see wildlife in nature, encountering mammals is a thrill. Learn to identify mammals in Michigan. With Stan Tekiela’s famous field guide, mammal identification is simple and informative. The Mammals of Michigan Field Guide features all 66 species found in the state, organized by family and then by size. When you see a mammal, you can determine its family by common visual characteristics and then turn to the corresponding section to find out what it is! Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-color photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. This second edition includes professional photographs and range maps, neat-to-know information, and Stan’s expert insights. So grab the Mammals of Michigan Field Guide for your next outing to help ensure that you positively identify the wildlife you see. Inside you’ll find: All 66 of Michigan’s mammals, from mice to moose - Facts about size, habitat, range, young, and more - Times each animal is most likely to be active and signs it might leave behind - Professional photos, range maps, and track patterns - Stan’s naturalist notes and fascinating facts Stan Tekiela has been a professional naturalist for more than 35 years and is a member of the Minnesota Naturalists’ Association, Outdoor Writers Association of America, North American Nature Photography Association, and Canon Professional Services. Stan actively studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for outdoors education and writing. His syndicated nature column appears in more than 20 cities, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan has authored hundreds of field guides, quick guides, nature books, children’s books, and more. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Family: Deer (Cervidae) Size: L 4-7' (1.2-2.1 m); T 6-12" (15-30 cm); H 3-4' (1-1.2 m) Weight: M 100-300 lb. (45-135 kg); F 75-200 lb. (34-90 kg) Description: Reddish brown during summer, grayish brown during winter. Large ears, white inside with black edges. A white eye-ring, nose band, chin, throat, and belly. Brown tail with a black tip and white underside. Male has antlers with many tines and an antler spread of 12-36" (30-90 cm). Female has a thinner neck than male and lacks antlers. Origin/Age: native; 5-10 years Compare: Elk (pg. 281) is over twice the size and weight of the white-tailed deer, has a dark mane, and lacks the white rump. Habitat: all habitats Home: no den or nest; sleeps in a different spot every night, beds may be concentrated in one area, does not use a shelter in bad weather or winter, will move to a semisheltered area (yard) with a good food supply in winter Food: herbivore; grasses and other green plants, acorns and nuts in summer, twigs and buds in winter Sounds: loud whistle-like snorts, male grunts, fawn bleats Breeding: late Oct-Nov mating; 6-7 months gestation Young: 1-2 fawns once per year in May or June; covered with white spots, walks within hours of birth Signs: browsed twigs that are ripped or torn (due to the lack of upper incisor teeth), tree rubs (saplings scraped or stripped of bark) made by male while polishing antlers during the rut, oval depressions in snow or leaves are evidence of beds; round, hard brown pellets during winter, cylindrical segmented masses of scat in spring and summer Activity: nocturnal, crepuscular; often moves along same trails to visit feeding areas, moves around less when snow is deep Tracks: front hoof 2-3" (5-7.5 cm) long, hind hoof slightly smaller, both with a split heart shape with a point in the front; neat line of single tracks; hind hooves fall near or directly onto fore prints (direct register) when walking Stan’s Notes: This deer is the most common large mammal in Michigan and has the most widespread range. Originally was not found throughout the state. Its range expanded dramatically in the mid- to late 1800s due to logging and overhunting of native elk; now found in nearly every habitat in every part of Michigan. Also known as Virginia deer or whitetail. Much longer guard hairs in winter give the animal a larger appearance than in summer. Individual hairs of the winter coat are thick and hollow and provide excellent insulation. Falling snow often does not melt on its back. In summer, antlers are covered with a furry skin called velvet. Velvet contains a network of blood vessels that supplies nutrients to the growing antlers. New antler growth begins after the male (buck) drops his antlers in January or February. Some females (does) have been known to grow antlers. Deer are dependent on the location of the food supply. In winter large groups move to low moist areas (y