Effect of changing daylength on the diurnal pattern of intake and feeding behaviour in penned red deer (Cervus elaphus)

AbstractIt is generally presumed that allosucking brings benefits to the allosucking infants. Nevertheless, the data supporting such a presumption are rare. The aim of the study was to determine whether allosucking has any impact on growth rates of the allosucking calves. Fifty pregnant hinds were observed between 28 May (1st day of calving) and 2 September (abrupt weaning of all calves) on a red deer farm at Vimperk, South Bohemia, the Czech Republic. Of the 50 calves born the growth curve was calculated for 39 calves. During their 1st month of life these calves were observed in 1015 sucking bouts. In 690 cases the calves sucked from maternal hinds and in 325 cases non-maternal hinds. Only 25·64% of calves sucked exclusively from maternal hinds. The prevailing type of sucking behaviour was a combination of sucking from maternal hinds and allosucking (74·36%). Calves sucking from maternal and non-maternal hinds showed 1·6-fold higher sucking frequency than did calves feeding from maternal hinds only. Our results indicate that to some extend allonursing behaviour of the hind may affect their calves’ feeding behaviour. The more non-filial calves the maternal hind nursed, the higher frequency of the sucking by their calves occurred. The groups of calves did not differ in birth weight. With increasing age, the relative body weight increased faster in calves sucking maternal hinds only than in calves sucking maternal and non-maternal hinds. This gain in body weight was not essentially influenced by the fact whether or not the calf’s maternal hind nursed non-filial or exclusively filial calves. However, at weaning (99 days), the lowest body weight occurred in allosucking calves whose maternal hinds were allonursing. The results suggest that allosucking does not mean an extra profit to the allosucker. Instead, in our subjects, allosucking was rather attributed to compensation of nutritional requirements based on a combination of various factors, such as discrete differences in body weight at birth and also later and allonursing of the maternal hind.

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Nursing and feeding behaviour of confined red deer(cervus elaphus scoticus)in the Mexican highlands∗

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1080/00288233.2004.9513565 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

C. G. Vásquez ◽

L. Olvera ◽

Y. Siqueiros ◽

M. L. Kuri ◽

V. A. Navarro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Feeding Behaviour ◽

Red Deer

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Seasonal and specific diet variations in sympatric red and fallow deer of southern Spain: a preliminary approach to feeding behaviour

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an12016 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 52 (8) ◽

pp. 720 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

C. Azorit ◽

S. Tellado ◽

A. Oya ◽

J. Moro

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Feeding Behaviour ◽

Red Deer ◽

Food Selection ◽

Food Resource ◽

Fallow Deer ◽

Diet Overlap ◽

Southern Spain ◽

Foraging Strategies ◽

Physiological Status

We studied the diet composition and diet overlap in sympatric red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) throughout a whole year in order to determine variation due to season, species, sex and age class by analysing rumen contents samples of 81 red and 69 fallow deer shot monthly during 2008–09 in Sierra de Andújar Natural Park, southern Spain. We assessed diet similarity and possible inter- and intra-specific foraging competition. We found different foraging strategies for both species and sexes during constraint periods, and several theoretical considerations of specific interactions and behaviour are discussed with respect to the Mediterranean environment. In both species an annual diet dominated by grasses was recorded, peaking in spring. Browses were an important food resource at the end of winter and at the end of summer, and fruit more in autumn and winter. Red deer ingested a higher proportion of browse than fallow deer, which consumed more acorns and for a longer time showed a better ability to compensate for nutritional constraint periods. An overall decline in diet similarity in summer and at the end of winter led us to assume that exploitative competition between red and fallow deer and even between sexes was probable. Red deer females showed low diet similarity to other deer, while there was a great diet overlap between red deer males and fallow deer females at the end of summer. Differences detected between both two species and sexes do not always support predictions deriving from specific body size and morpho-physiological characteristics, but can probably be explained as a consequence of different metabolic demands. The relationship between plant nutritional attributes and food selection according to reproductive or physiological status and seasonal demands for both sexes and species should be researched in order to perform a better assessment of deer feeding behaviour.

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The effect of monoterpene concentrations in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) on the browsing behaviour of red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-231 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (10) ◽

pp. 1715-1720 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Alan J. Duncan ◽

Susan E. Hartley ◽

Glenn R. Iason

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Multiple Regression Analysis ◽

Multiple Regression ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Feeding Behaviour ◽

Red Deer ◽

Sitka Spruce ◽

Negative Influence ◽

Picea Sitchensis ◽

Total Biomass

The effect of monoterpene concentrations in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) foliage on the browsing behaviour and preferences of red deer (Cervus elaphus) was studied in a series of 18 choice trials. During each trial, individual hinds were given access to 16 saplings arranged in a symmetrical array and aspects of their feeding behaviour were recorded over 15 min. The principal measures of preference were the number of bites and the biomass removed from each tree. Prior to each trial each tree was subjected to a series of detailed morphological measurements and a subset of trees was sampled for subsequent monoterpene analysis. Multiple regression analysis showed total terpene concentration of needles to have a significant negative influence on both the number of bites and the total biomass removed from each tree. Differences in susceptibility of Sitka spruce trees to browsing are discussed in relation to the observed high intertree variation in terpene concentrations.

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The importance of individual movement and feeding behaviour for long-distance seed dispersal by red deer: a data-driven model

Movement Ecology ◽

10.1186/s40462-020-00227-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Stephen J. Wright ◽

Marco Heurich ◽

Carsten M. Buchmann ◽

Reinhard Böcker ◽

Frank M. Schurr

Keyword(s):

Seed Dispersal ◽

Plant Species ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Individual Variation ◽

Feeding Behaviour ◽

Red Deer ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Individual Plant ◽

Long Distance ◽

Ample Evidence

Abstract Background Long-distance seed dispersal (LDD) has strong impacts on the spatiotemporal dynamics of plants. Large animals are important LDD vectors because they regularly transport seeds of many plant species over long distances. While there is now ample evidence that behaviour varies considerably between individual animals, it is not clear to what extent inter-individual variation in behaviour alters seed dispersal by animals. Methods We study how inter-individual variation in the movement and feeding behaviour of one of Europe’s largest herbivores (the red deer, Cervus elaphus) affects internal seed dispersal (endozoochory) of multiple plant species. We combine movement data of 21 individual deer with measurements of seed loads in the dung of the same individuals and with data on gut passage time. These data serve to parameterize a model of passive dispersal that predicts LDD in three orientations (horizontal as well as upward and downward in elevation). With this model we investigate to what extent per-seed probabilities of LDD and seed load vary between individuals and throughout the vegetation period (May–December). Subsequently, we test whether per-seed LDD probability and seed load are positively (or negatively) correlated so that more mobile animals disperse more (or less) seeds. Finally, we examine whether non-random associations between per-seed LDD probability and seed load affect the LDD of individual plant species. Results The studied deer dispersed viable seeds of at least 62 plant species. Deer individuals varied significantly in per-seed LDD probability and seed loads. However, more mobile animals did not disperse more or less seeds than less mobile ones. Plant species also did not differ significantly in the relationship between per-seed LDD probability and seed load. Yet plant species differed in how their seed load was distributed across deer individuals and in time, and this caused their LDD potential to differ more than twofold. For several plant species, we detected non-random associations between per-seed LDD probability and seed load that generally increased LDD potential. Conclusions Inter-individual variation in movement and feeding behaviour means that certain deer are substantially more effective LDD vectors than others. This inter-individual variation reduces the reliability of LDD and increases the sensitivity of LDD to the decline of deer populations. Variation in the dispersal services of individual animals should thus be taken into account in models in order to improve LDD projections.

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Vocalizations in red deer (Cervus elaphus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and red × sika hybrids

Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1017/s0952836998001149 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 244 (1) ◽

pp. 123-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. M. Long ◽

N.P. Moore ◽

T. J. Hayden

Keyword(s):

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Sika Deer ◽

Cervus Nippon

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The deer of the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy): literary references and osteological evidence

Archives of Natural History ◽

10.3366/anh.2002.29.1.51 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 51-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

MARCO MASSETP ◽

BRUNO ZAVA

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

Cervus Elaphus ◽

Red Deer ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

Taxonomic Relationships

During the nineteenth century, scientific literature and official reports recorded the occurrence of a population of red deer, Cervus elaphus, on the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy). Osteological specimens collected by the zoologist Enrico Hillier Giglioli towards the end of the century confirmed these references. Since cervids are not found among the fossil fauna of the island, the red deer must have been introduced by man although we do not yet know precisely when. The former existence of the species on Lampedusa is discussed by comparison of literary material and bone evidence. The population's probable origins and its taxonomic relationships with other Mediterranean red deer populations are also analysed.

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