Illinois State Animal

White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus Adopted: August, 1981

Adoption of the Illinois State Animal

Illinois State Animal: White-tailed Deer Male (Buck)
Photographs and prints

State Animal -- White-tailed Deer: The state animal was selected by a vote of Illinois schoolchildren in 1980. The white-tailed deer was selected from candidates nominated by the General Assembly and the Illinois State Museum. A bill was signed into law by Gov. James R. Thompson, effective Jan. 1, 1982. The deer, native to North America, has a gray coat that turns reddish brown in summer and an eye-catching tail that is bright white on the underside.

-----2005-2006 Illinois Blue Book

Illinois Law

Illinois State Animal: White-tailed Deer Female (Doe)
Photographs and prints

The following information was excerpted from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Government, Chapter 5, Section 460/45.

GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 5 - GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(5 ILCS 460/) State Designations Act.
(5 ILCS 460/45)

Sec. 45. State animal. The animal Odocoileus virginianus, commonly known as the "white-tailed deer", is designated the official State animal of the State of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 87-273.)

Sources...

"State Symbols." 2005-2006 Illinois Blue Book. 2009. 6 Apr 2009

"Illinois Compiled Statutes." Legislative Reference Bureau. 2009. 6 Apr 2009

Shearer, Benjamin F. and Barbara S. State Names, Seals, Flags and Symbols: A Historical Guide Third Edition, Revised and Expanded. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 3 Sub edition, 2001.

Additional Information

Ohio State Animal: White-tailed Deer (Fawns)
Photographs and prints

State Animal: White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): Illinois State Museum: Illinois State Symbols and their haistory.

White-tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus: New Hampshire Public Television: NatureWorks.

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): National Wildlife Foundation's eNature.com field guide.

Odocoileus virginianus - White-tailed deer: Information about white-tailed deer from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - North American Mammals.

Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed deer): CalPhoto photographs. The Biodiversity Sciences Technology group (BSCIT), a part of the Berkeley Natural History Museums at the University of California, Berkeley.

Odocoileus virginianus White-tailed Deer: Encyclopedia of Life.

Odocoileus virginianus - White-tailed deer: Information about white-tailed deer from the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology - Animal Diversity Web.

Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780) - White-tailed deer: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Here you will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.

Odocoileus virginianus - (Zimmermann, 1780) White-tailed Deer: A network connecting science with conservation - NatureServe Explorer: An Online Encyclopedia of Life.

White-Tailed Deer
by Mark Raycroft

State Animals: Complete list of official state animals.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official Illinois state symbols.

White-Tailed Deer, by Mark Raycroft. 144 pages. Firefly Books (September 1, 1999) As a wildlife biologist, I have been studying white-tailed deer for over a decade. In this time, I have acquired extensive knowledge of the natural history and complex behavioral patterns of this appealing animal. But most of all, I have spent countless hours up close, personally studying and photographing hundreds of these graceful creatures.

White Tailed Deer - Coffee Mug, Microwave safe, FDA approved. Image is printed on both sides of the mug.

Photographs and prints: Photographs, prints, posters of white-tailed deer; bucks, does, and fawns.