Habitat, Group Size, and the Behaviour of White-Tailed Deer

摘要: The behaviour of white-tailed deer on Ossabaw Island, Georgia was examined in three habitats which differed cover density and forage abundance. Forest had relatively dense but low availability; wooded pasture abundant forage; open no woody forage. Deer groups were small both the forest relative to pasture. Group size did not vary with seasonal changes supply. Groups during autumn rut when food abundant, large at other times year, even winter abundance comparable that forest. spent more time feeding, less moving, alert than intermediate between two for percent similar like alert. Differences suggest vegetation (e.g. pasture) wary areas. In all habitats, larger (four or deer) feeding smaller groups. More aggressive interactions seen pasture; nonaggressive rate interaction clearly related group size. Temporal variation nearest-neighbor distance within greater pasture, possibly due loss contact under conditions restricted visibility. Although these data rather characteristics size, support given hypothesis this relationship a consequence different anti-predator strategies. may have been because difficulty maintaining members visibility restricted.