Plate No. 02Mammal
Species Profile
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Named for their oversized ears, mule deer are the unhurried wanderers of El Porvenir's slopes. You may spot them at dusk on the canyon road, gracefully bouncing on all fours in a gait called ‘stotting.’
Habitat
Piñon-juniper woodland, ponderosa forest, mountain meadows
Diet
Browser — shrubs, acorns, forbs, wildflowers
Size
3–3.5 ft at shoulder · 130–280 lb
Status
Common · Big-game species
§ Field Notes
Fun facts.
01
Their bounding ‘stot’ gait can clear obstacles 15 ft wide.
02
Antlers fork twice, unlike the single-beam whitetail rack.
03
Ears rotate independently like radar dishes to triangulate sound.
04
Bucks shed their antlers each winter and regrow them in spring.
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Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout
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Coyote