What Animals Live in the Deciduous Forest?

A deciduous forest is any forest biome that experiences the effects of all four of the natural seasons. The rainforest in South America, for example, is not a deciduous forest, as it doesn’t experience any sort of significant climate change on a yearly basis. Deciduous forests are located in temperature-moderate areas of the world, such as Eastern North America and Central Europe. They are generally classified by their average yearly temperature, which usually ends up right around the 50 degrees Fahrenheit mark on the thermometer, and annually they receive anywhere from 30 to 60 inches of precipitation.

Deciduous forests are separated into a series of five zones, which are classified by the level in which certain plants and animals tend to spend three of the four seasons, finding their food and shelter. Most animals that thrive in the deciduous forest enter a period of hibernation over the winter season, having gathered enough food to sustain their limited need over the vastly barren period of the year.

American Black Bear

Considered the largest animal on the list of animals in the deciduous forest, the American black bear has a maximum running speed of just over 25 miles per hour, which is astonishing given the size and frame of a fully grown member of this species.

The black bear feeds on both animal and plant sources, with its most common prey being fish (for the fatty tissues), and wild berries (for the sustaining fiber).

Black bears are much like other animals in the deciduous forest in that, once the birth of the offspring takes place, the male of the species leaves the area to hunt and mate with other female bears. The mother bear will raise the cubs for a period of roughly two years, and will be extremely protective of her cubs until the time she leaves them to fend for themselves.

Black bears are notorious for climbing trees and using their long and very sharp claws to reach food sources other bears don’t typically feed on. 

Other Predatory Animals

Animals with mating and feeding habits similar to the black bear are the coyote, red and grey foxes, and wild cats such as lynx and even cougars. These are usually considered predatory animals, due to their natural hunting and survival instincts.

Other predatory animals in these areas include the bald eagle, owls, and falcons, which live in the tree stratum, or zone 1 of the deciduous forest.

White-Tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer is the most commonly hunted of the “large game” animals that live and thrive in the deciduous forest areas of the world. Usually harvested for its lean meat and dense short-haired fur, the male of the species is most sought after because of the size his antlers can grow to be with his age. The size of the male deer, or “buck’s” rack, is usually looked at as the trophy given for a successful kill.

White-tailed deer generally feed on green plants and vegetables, especially those who find their dens near a corn field. However, since white-tailed deer don’t hibernate, they must rely on their noses to find nuts on the ground, such as acorns and walnuts. The fur of the deer is usually its only defense, making the animal able to camouflage itself in thick brush and dormant ground cover.

Other Prey Animals

In addition to the white-tailed deer, other animals that are generally considered prey animals because of their tendencies to eat only plants include the chipmunk, black, red, and brown squirrels, and the dormouse. These animals are generally found to thrive in the first zone of the five deciduous forest zones, though they may hold their dwellings in any level of the forest.