Diet composition of the Italian roe deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus) (Mammalia: Cervidae) from two protected areas

Abstract

The Italian roe deer is classified as "vulnerable" in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, as the few specimens of this endemism may have a high risk of extinction. Conservation efforts for the Italian roe deer cannot prescind from the study of the feeding habits of the taxon. Therefore, in the present study, the spring diet composition of the Italian roe deer from two protected areas was estimated by using the micro-histological technique of faecal analysis. Univariate measures of alpha and beta diversity were computed to assess spatial differences in diet composition between the sites. A total of 79 different species of plants were identified, with few species (mainly woody plants) comprising over a quarter of the diet. The most consumed species were Rubia peregrina, Quercus suber and Osyris alba in Site 1, and Q. cerris, Carpinus betulus and Crataegus monogyna in Site 2. Alpha diversity analysis showed that diet composition was quite rich and diverse in both sites, with nearly all the shared species eaten to an equal extent. Moreover, the values of alpha diversity indices were not significantly different between the sites. The degree of dietary overlap ranged from "low" to "high", as most of the identified plants were unshared, whereas the consumption of some shared plants differed between the sites. In conclusion, our results showed that that this subspecies of Capreolus is capable of exhibiting both a generalist and an opportunistic behaviour in relation of food resource availability.

Evaluation of wild animals browsing preferences in forage resources

“…The remarkable presence of roe deer in the plots can explain the reduced number of herbaceous species with a relevant utilisation in our trial, as this animal has a selective behaviour, and this confirms the findings of Freschi et al (2017) who reported that a great amount of roe deer diet was composed by a reduced number of preferred vegetal species.…”

“…Results are in line with previous researches performed utilising the same methodology in mountain environment (Cervasio et al, 2009) that report high changes in wild animal intake on grassland among different periods. In this way wildlife can show an opportunistic behaviour in relation to forage availability (Freschi et al, 2017).…”

Ecological conditions experienced by offspring during pregnancy and early post-natal life determine mandible size in roe deer

“…Roe deer is a highly selective feeder [65–66] that can also exhibit opportunistic behavior in relation to food resource availability in a given place, season and/or year [67]. Forest productivity—used here as a proxy of food availability [41] during the last part of gestation, the birth period, and the lactation—sped up mandible growth.…”

Interspecific Aggressions between Crested Porcupines and Roe Deer

“…In cold months, porcupines mainly feed on underground vegetal organs (bulbs, tubers and roots), whereas a preference for stems, fruits and epigeal plant parts is shown during spring and summer [21,33,34]. Therefore, in warm months, porcupines may compete for food with native ungulates feeding in open areas, e.g., the roe deer, also in Italy [35][36][37]. The defense strategies by the crested porcupine toward potential predators and competitors include four displays, characterized by increasing aggressiveness [38,39]: (i) dorsal quill and crest erection (which is sufficient for over 50% of interactions); (ii) tail rattling through rattle quills; (iii) hind-foot stamping and growling; and (iv) backyard/sideways attack.…”

“…The aim of this work was to describe interspecific interactions occurring between roe deer and crested porcupines at feeding sites (i.e., fallows and ecotones). We expected that most direct interactions would occur in warm months (spring and summer), i.e., when diet overlap amongst these species is likely to be the highest [33,37].…”