Home range patterns of female red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) in the Alps.

Abstract

From 1976 to 1978, ten female red deer in the northern parts of the Bavarian Alps (Southern West Germany) were fitted with transmitter collars. Seasonal movements, the home range patterns, and habitat utilization as a function of the habitat structure were examined. While some animals remained in the lowlands throughout the year, others move between two or even three different areas seasonally. The average size of the home range was 65 ha during winter, 167 ha in spring and autumn and 121 ha in summer. The overlap of home ranges of different individuals ranged from 18 to 100%. In habitats with a patchy vegetation structure the home ranges were used more uniformly, whereas in habitats with a distinct separation of large woods and meadows home ranges show diurnal and nocturnal activity centres respectively.