question for ron ( no photo )

[davidhampshire]

why are all the deer here so dark in color,   i mean,   really dark,   some almost black,    this time of year i thought they would be lightening up ?

dave     

[Pacerr]

Uh, where's here? And what type deer?

Not to preempt Ron's reply, but consider this:

A snowshoe hare adapts its color for protective camouflage reasons but has a small surface area, thick coat and is easily insulated in the snow.

The deer likely gains a thermal advantage with the darker coat as a primary factor as well as better matching the winter woodland environment.

My whitetails here (western TN) go from a rusty reddish color to dark grey in a matter of a week or two as the temperature cools off and hours of sunlight decrease which triggers the change. They spend a lot of time sunning in open, south facing pastures on sunny winter days.

Note the color difference between the doe and fawn in my "Got Milk?" image. The fawns loose their spots and get darker at the same time and are as dark as the does now.

H2

[Ron Kruger]

Hank's answer is right. Their coats also get thicker as the weather cools, and the density of the fur makes them darker as well. The brighter the sun, the darker they look. During Feburary, they get downright fuzzy and desheveled during cold winters, but they start taking on a little lighter look because their guard hairs lengthen, sticking further above the underfur. During the spring, they shed just like a dog and become lighter. The first shot here  is a Feburary doe; the second is a summer doe; the third is a fall doe.

[Ron Kruger]

In addition, the further north you live, the darker deer will become during the fall and the thicker their coats become during winter. On the northern tier of states and Canada, deer "yard" during the winter, gathering in very large groups of 50 or more animals that congregate in sheltered areas that offer some forage. They do tend to group up a little around here, but not to that extent, and they still roam around rather freely foraging.
If you watch deer often enough, you'll also notice they don't all look alike. Each one has a slightly different facial feature and body shape, just like humans.

[davidhampshire]

thanks ron,  and pacerr,   that last picture has the color about right,    maybe they are a little darker even than that,   here,    right now,    i would have thought they got lighter as they get ready for winter and snow,   but what do i know.   they do seem to blend in pretty well with the trees these days.   trying to get some photos,    but none worth anything yet.     guess i need that 200 mm lens,    eventually.    dave