• Why is this deer colored this way?

    Question

    Can you please ask a naturalist if this is shedding or a little piebald? Taken at Chagrin River Park. Thanks.

    Naturalist's Response

    I would say it’s piebald, though minimally so. Also unusual is that the white hair, pretty much limited to the snout and circles around the eyes, appears in a symmetrical pattern across the face. Piebald markings are generally asymmetrical with no apparent pattern. As marginally piebald, the deer also doesn’t exhibit the other characteristics of piebald deer which can include downward sloping of the snout, short legs, swayback (scoliosis) and short lower jaws. As the piebald genetic condition is in itself rare (less than 1 percent of white-tailed deer), this example would be even rarer.

    -Naturalist Dan Best