BEHAVIORAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AXIS AND FALLOW DEER AT HIGH-VALUE FOOD PATCHES

Abstract

Abstract We classified displacements between axis deer (Axis axis) and fallow deer (Dama dama) by age, sex, species, and intensity (contact, non-contact) at high-quality, supplemental food patches on a Texas ranch. Axis deer males performed significantly fewer interspecific displacements than fallow deer males in fall and winter, whereas fallow deer males performed significantly fewer interspecific displacements than axis deer males in summer. Fallow deer males required significantly less intensity to displace axis deer males than conspecifics in both fall and winter. Fallow deer females engaged in significantly fewer displacements than axis deer females in winter and spring, and axis deer females required significantly less intensity to displace fallow deer females than conspecifics in winter. Heterospecific displacements between axis deer and fallow deer males correlated with the proportion of fallow deer males in hard antler. Fallow deer female displacements correlated with season. We concluded that in...