Why do these fawns have different colored coats?
Filed under: Deer Biology
Question
I have a mature doe with two fawns in my backyard that I see almost daily. Watching them lose their spots and growing their winter coats has brought me to a question for you. One fawn has a reddish coat while the other is a dark grey. Both are normal deer colors it’s just obvious they are different when standing together. I thought one was a button buck and the other a doe but yesterday after studying them with binos I realized they both are doe fawns. We’re deer from a different location, at one time, similar in color or where does this come from? Thanks
Bryan,
This is most likely simply an individual difference. Some deer shed their summer coat earlier (reddish short hair) than others. Deer were created with red hair during the summer to reflect heat and darker hair during the winter to absorb the sun’s energy.
I suspect in a week or two both deer will appear close to the same color.
Enjoy creation,
grant
November 5, 2015
