Forida Key Deer

The Florida Key Deer is one of the many interesting things making the Keys such a unique place.  They use to be found throughout the Keys wherever there was a reliable fresh water supply.  Due to habitat destruction, both man-made and natural, they are now normally found only on Big Pine Key and, very nearby, No Name Key; in the wet season they may range on to other nearby Keys temporarily because water is there.  

In the late 1940’s the total population was thought to be only 30-40 deer.  However, since then an aggressive protection program has rebuilt the herd to an estimated 700-800.  They are use to cohabiting their territory with humans and show little of the fear commonly seen in their bigger White-tail deer relatives.  
It also leads to their biggest threat – the automobile.  Especially at night, they wonder freely around the keys and invariably some are hit by autos. It is estimated that deer-vehicle collisions account for 50% to 70% of the annual mortality of Key Deer.  The speed limits on Big Pine and No-Name are strictly enforced to try and reduce this lost.  Most human inhabitants take pride in “their” deer and take precautions to control their dogs and otherwise protect the deer.  
The Key Deer is not hard to spot along the road or in the pine scrub, especially near sunrise or sunset.  They graze nonchalantly as humans go by on their errands.  When some stop (usually tourist) they will sometimes even approach or allow the people to approach, but usually will keep their distance.  It is illegal to feed or bother the Key Deer.

The National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 to help insure the survival of the deer sub-species as well as other Keys wildlife.  Its headquarters is on Big Pine Key and the refuge covers much of Big Pine Key and No-Name Key. Adult male Key Deer usually weigh 55–75 lb and stand about 30 inches tall at the shoulder. Adult females usually weigh between 44–64 lb and have an average height of 26 inches at the shoulders.  Except for size they closely resemble the common White-Tail deer found throughout the US. 

Another interesting part of the unique Florida Keys. This LINK is to an info sheet on the Key Deer.