W
hite-tailed deer
are very adaptable
creatures,
equally at home
in forests and fields as well as
suburban neighborhoods. There are
approximately 500 deer on Kiawah
Island, and they can be seen on all
parts of the Island, mainly during the
hours between dusk and dawn. Deer
are herbivores, feeding on a variety of
native and ornamental plants, as well as
grasses, acorns, and muscadine grapes.
Kiawah Island’s white-tailed deer
are the same species as deer in the
Northeast and Midwest, although they
are smaller in size. Their smaller size
allows them to cope better with the
warm climate of the Southeastern coast.
During the summer, deer are slightly
reddish in color; by mid-October,
they will have attained their winter
coat, which is thicker, darker, and
gray. One of their most distinguishing
characteristics is the white underside
of their tail. Deer raise their tails when
they are alarmed as a warning to other
nearby deer. You’ll be sure to notice it if
you startle deer on your walks around
the Island.
WINTER/SPRING 2018 • VOLUME 39
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