White-tailed deer do not have gallbladders.  Why?

 

According to Native American legend, it’s because deer had to give its gallbladder to the antelope after losing a match race.  That’s harsh!

 

The gallbladder stores bile which aids in the digestion of lipids in the small intestine.  The white-tailed deer’s mainly vegetarian diet is low in fat content compared to us meat eaters.  So while they may have lost it in a race, they really didn’t need it anyway.

-Jeannine Fleegle
PGC Deer and Elk Section

 

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