Why do baby deer have spots when small?

baby deer have white spots scattered over their otherwise brown backs and sides. The pattern is an important adaptation for their survival. For most life-threatening situations, such as the risk of being caught by predators, the pattern of spots actually breaks up the pattern of the deer.





Speed is the primary adaptation of deer to avoid danger, but young deer do not have the muscle strength or the longer legs that allow escape by running. During the first few weeks after birth, a baby deer that is in danger automatically drops to the ground and lies motionless in a curled position - even when a predator is almost on top of it.











The baby deer has no scent, so predators that may depend on their sense of smell have difficulty finding the young deer. The mother, always close at hand, tends to circle back toward where her baby lies, to get the attention of the predator. With the predator鈥檚 attention refocused on her, she runs and leads the predator away from her baby, typically outrunning it. After a failed chase by the predator, the mother comes back to her baby.





The lack of an odor made the sense of smell of no use for the predator. Still, why didn鈥檛 the predator see the baby - which would be easy prey and a good meal for most large predators, such as wolves, coyotes, bobcats, or mountain lions?





The answer is in the spotted pattern of the fawn. As sunlight falls between the leaves and branches of the plants in the forest, a dappled pattern of light and dark spots are spread across the ground. The outline of the baby deer could be seen among the vegetation, except that the spotted fawn itself looks like its surroundings.Why do baby deer have spots when small?
Oh I knew it already I watch animal planet and stuff a lot :D

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Why do baby deer have spots when small?
So they aren't a solid colour, it gives them a degree of camouflage.
So they are well camouflaged on wooded areas.
For camouflage
to hid em in thee woods or as I told my babies as they grow their hair will grow in
it's for camo. when they get bigger and don't need to hide in the grass they lose the spots