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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