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Mule deer— sometimes known as black-tailed deer—are hardy animals, used to the rigors of the North American winter. In places where they are not persecuted, this species becomes almost indifferent to the presence of people and can be watched at close quarters.

foothold in the north—this continent is largely the domain of antelopes and gazelles. The herbivorous diet of deer is satisfied in one of two general ways. Some species feed by grazing on grasses and other low-growing plants, while others browse on leaves and

visit farmland to feed if the opportunity arises. Farther north in North America, caribou are widespread in arctic and subarctic regions. The precise natural distribution of some deer has been complicated by people’s intro- duction of certain species to far-flung parts of the world. Thus red deer, essentially European animals, occur in New Zealand, while munt- jacs, originally from Asia, are now widespread in southern England. The deer family does, however, have indigenous representatives on all continents except Australia and Antarc- tica, although in Africa, they have only a tiny

Almost overnight, the Alaskan tundra assumes the dramatic colors of autumn. This seasonal change corresponds with a switch in the behavior of the region’s caribou: The annual rut begins, and within a few weeks, the herds begin migrating south.

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