Response of red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) to playback of harsh versus common roars.

摘要: Red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) give two distinct types of roars during the breeding season, “common roar” and “harsh roar.” Harsh are more frequent contexts intense competition, characterized by a set features that increase their perceptual salience, suggesting they signal heightened arousal. While common have been shown to encode size information mediate both male competition female choice, our knowledge, specific function harsh has not yet studied. Here, we investigate hypothesis structure signals high arousal competitors. We contrast behavioral responses free ranging, harem-holding playback from an unfamiliar competitor with response same animal. show males react less strongly sequences than roars, possibly because reluctant escalate conflicts highly motivated threatening in absence visual information. future work should familiar opponents, observations remain consistent may motivation illustrate how intrasexual selection can contribute diversification vocal signals.