ABSTRACT
The present chapter reports mineral contents of diets consumed by white-tailed deer. According to studies of selectivity of the white-tailed deer, in northeastern Mexico, their diets are composed by a mixture of shrubs, grasses, and forbs, with tendency to a predominance of the shrubs. In addition, the occurrence of forbs in the range occurs when there is sufficient humidity that only occurs in the summer and autumn. Therefore, it is not very likely that the deer will manifest symptoms of toxicity caused by an excess in the consumption of forbs with high concentrations of Fe. However, high concentrations of condensed tannins in the plants that consume the deer can decrease the absorption of Fe. Only in summer the shrubs, forbs, and grasses consumed by white-tailed deer in northeastern Mexico contained sufficient amounts of minerals to satisfy metabolic requirements. Results revealed a large variability of mineral contents in forage species consumed by white-tailed deer. Concentrations of Zn during summer were sufficient to satisfy deer requirements. At other seasons, the levels were marginally satisfactory (30 mg/kg).
