Gallery Spotlight
FLORIDA KEY DEER IN MANGROVES
By Kim B. Parrish
© 2020 – 24 x 36” Oil on Canvas
KEY DEER
Odocoileus virginianus clavium
FL Status: Federally-designated Endangered
If you want to discover a tiny deer the size of a german shepherd, you’ll have to look to Florida. Key deer are found only in the small islands of the lower Florida Keys; they are only around 30 inches at the shoulder, but they hold a big place in the hearts of our local wildlife lovers. These little deer will readily take to the water, and they swim among the marine estuaries while moving from one island to the next.
Back in the in the 1940s, hunting and habitat loss nearly led to their extinction, as Key deer numbers fell to less than 50 animals. Establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1957 tossed a lifeline to help this tiny subspecies survive. In addition to vehicle collisions, Key deer face danger from parasitic screwworms, which have sadly eliminated about 10 percent of the population. Despite the difficulties, Key Deer remain a part of Florida’s unique ecology.
My original Florida Key Deer fine art is 36 x 24 inches on canvas, and depicts a doe with her fawn, wading in a coastal estuary.