Rutting behaviour of fallow deer

Braza, Francisco; Garcia, Juan Esquivel; Álvarez, Fernándo

doi:10.4098/at.arch.86-42

Cited by 30 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Bucks generally groan repeatedly to females while approaching, herding or chasing them, as well as to mature and young males (Braza, Garcia & Alvarez, 1986). The fallow deer groan is a short, low-pitched and stereotyped vocalization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individuality in the groans of fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks

Reby¹,

Joachim²,

Lauga

et al. 1998

Journal of Zoology

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Vocal signatures and individual recognition are documented in a wide range of avian and mammalian species, but little is known about cervids. However, the existence of individual characteristics in cervid vocalizations is highly probable, as the individual morphology of their vocal organ determines the spectral structure of the uttered signal. Here, we report the presence of individual characteristics in the spectral structure of fallow deer groans recorded during the rutting period. We digitized 147 vocalizations from four adult males and transformed each of them into a power spectrum of 32 values in order to represent the frequency distribution of the sound power. A neural network discrimination with cross validation performed on the resulting variables allowed us correctly to identify 87.9 % of the tested vocalizations. The spectrum characteristics of an individual remained stable over the rutting period, and probably over several consecutive ruts (the vocalizations of one male recorded during a previous rutting period were also correctly classi®ed). We therefore conclude that the groan may constitute a vocal signature. The individually structured groan may provide a valuable basis for individual recognition during the breeding season and therefore may play an important role in the social interactions observed during this period.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individuality in the groans of fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks

Reby¹,

Joachim²,

Lauga

et al. 1998

Journal of Zoology

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“…Thus, while female reproductive success depends on raising young successfully, male reproductive success depends on fighting for access to females during a short rutting season (Clutton-Brock, Guinness & Albon, 1982;CluttonBrock, Albon & Guinness, 1988). Reproductive effort in males therefore originates from fighting with other males for access to females, patrolling territories, roaring (McComb, 1987) and tending females (general reviews: De Vos, Brokx & Geist, 1967; red deer Cervus elaphus: Lincoln, Youngson & Short, 1970;reindeer Rangifer tarandus: Espmark, 1964;Lent, 1965;Henshaw, 1970;Skogland, 1989; fallow deer Dama dama : Braza, Garcia & Alvarez, 1986; mouflons Ovis orientalis : Cavallini, 1987; moose Alces alces: Lent, 1974; elk Cervus elaphus: Struhsaker, 1967; mountain goat Oreamnos americanus : Geist, 1964; Soay sheep Ovis aries: Grubb & Jewell, 1973;Grubb, 1974). Female ungulates are the more important component for the dynamics of populations as they produce and raise the young.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of reproductive effort in male ungulates

Langvatn²,

2004

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In ungulates, males and females have contrasting life histories, as usually only the females raise the young. How reproductive effort in males varies with individual level and population level characteristics has received little attention in the literature. Using published information on direct (weight loss during the rut) and indirect (rutrelated changes in activity budgets, fighting frequency, etc.) measures of reproductive effort, we tested whether effort in males increased with (H 1 ) increasing age, (H 2 ) increasing body size, (H 3 ) decreasing population density, (H 4 ) increasingly female-biased sex ratio and with a younger male age structure. Consistent with H 1 , reproductive effort was consistently higher in prime-aged than in younger males in a large number of studies. Among younger males, sub-adult males had an equal or higher effort than yearling males. Prime-aged males had more typical rutting behaviour (e.g. roaring, tending, fighting and chasing frequencies) and they often lowered their intake of forage during the rut. However, reproductive effort usually declined for very old age classes. Reproductive effort increased with size (H 2 ) also after accounting for age. Data on effort vs (H 3 ) density and (H 4 ) sex ratio/male age structure were inconclusive. Clearly, far more studies relating effort to population characteristics are needed before the rutting ecology of male ungulates can be understood.

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“…Mixed groups, usually an adult male and females with individuals of other sex-age classes, appear mainly during the rutting season. Groups of this type were uncommon in other seasons, with the exception of the unusually long rutting season 1982 during which mixed groups were recorded until spring 1983 (Braza et al 1986). These authors demonstrated that the rutting season of 1982 was atypical, influenced by the poor physical condition of deer following the drought.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Population parameters of fallow deer at Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

et al. 1990

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. 1990. Population parameters of fallow deer at Doñana National Park (SW Spain). Acta theriol. 35: 277-288.In order to know the reproductive and social status of fallow deer Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) populations at Doñana National Park and analyze the influence of climatic factors and population density on the reproductive performance of females and males, periodic counts were conducted from September 1982 to September 1988. The size of the study population increased in the period 1982-1983 and remained relatively stable from 1983 to 1988 (mean = 267.79 + 11.26). The mean group size of the female groups was the largest (8.67+ 1.44); mixed groups showed a mean size of 8.09 (± 1.05), the mean group size of the male ones being the smallest (5.21 ±0.9). The results indicate that density as well as temperature during the last month of gestation have repercussions on the reproductive performance of the females. No sexual differences have been detected in juvenile mortality during the first year of life.

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Rutting behaviour of fallow deer

Cited by 30 publications

References 8 publications

Individuality in the groans of fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks

Individuality in the groans of fallow deer (Dama dama) bucks

Patterns of reproductive effort in male ungulates

Population parameters of fallow deer at Doñana National Park (SW Spain)

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