Mule deer

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mule-deer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Odocoileus hemionus
2. What is the conservation status?Least Concern
3. Why are mule deer called 'mule deer'?They have very large ears that look like a mule's ears, which is why they get their name.
4. Where do mule deer live?Mule deer live in western North America, from the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast. They can be found in deserts, grasslands, forests, chaparral, and alpine meadows.

Obligate Herbivore: An animal that must eat plants to survive, lacking the physiological capacity to digest animal matter.
Crepuscular: Referring to animals that are primarily active during the twilight periods of dawn and dusk.
Stotting (Pronking): A distinctive bounding gait characterized by stiff-legged leaps, used by mule deer as an anti-predator behavior.
Ecological Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment, including how it meets its needs for food and shelter, how it survives, and how it reproduces.