Morphology of the white-tailed deer tarsal gland

The communication of reproductive information in cervids is thought to be accomplished by odors associated with skin glands. The tarsal glands of white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman, 1780), in particular, are the focus of many breeding behaviors and appear to attract the interest of conspecifics. These glands are annointed with urine with increasing frequency as the breeding season approaches and may convey social odors relating to dominance, reproductive condition, or individual recognition. We collected tarsal glands from male and female white-tailed deer of various ages during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Using light microscopy, we examined skin biopsies of tarsal glands microscopically to quantify sebaceous and apocrine glandular activity. Measurements of sebaceous and apocrine glands did not differ between sexes or seasons, or among age classes. During the breeding season, the tarsal tufts of older males become darkly stained. Although the tarsal glands of white-tailed deer are important in conspecific communication, the staining and associated odors appears to be unrelated to variations in the sebaceous or apocrine gland activity. Rather, odor production on the tarsal gland likely results from interactions among urinary constituents, microbial decomposition, and glandular secretions.