COSTA RICA

WHITE TAILED DEER

[Odocoileus virginianus]. Head and body length is 150 to 200 cm, tail length is 10 to 28 cm, and height at the shoulders is between 80 and 100 cm. Its dorsal coloration differs in shading locally, seasonally, and among subspecies; however in general it is grayer in the winter and redder in the summer. White fur is located in a band behind the nose, in circles around the eyes, inside the ears, over the chin and throat, on the upper insides of the legs and beneath the tail. They are the most nervous and shy of deer. They wave their tails characteristically from side to side when they are startled and fleeing. They are spot in entire Costa Rica especially in Guanacaste province (National Parks of Barra Honda, Palo Verde, and Curu Wildlife Refuge).

FAUNA OF COSTA RICA