The Florida Key Deer is the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer in North America, standing only 2.5 feet at the shoulder. It is endemic to the Lower Florida Keys and was reduced to fewer than 25 animals in the 1950s before federal protection and the establishment of the National Key Deer Refuge enabled recovery to around 800 individuals. Rising sea levels from climate change threaten the low-lying freshwater sources these deer depend on.
Best time to see a Florida Key Deer
The best time to see a Florida Key Deer is January–July, when about 69% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 2,009 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Florida Key Deer? What animal is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Florida Key Deer sightings near you
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