Seasonal migration and home range of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in the Italian eastern Alps

Abstract

Although it has been demonstrated that European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus (L. 1758)) may migrate seasonally in areas with snow gradients, this behaviour remains scarcely understood. From 1999 to 2002, radio-tracking techniques in an Italian alpine area showed that 40% of the 32 monitored roe deer migrated (12.0 ± 6.2 km, mean ± SD) from the high-elevation summer ranges to the low-elevation winter ranges. Proportions of migratory deer were similar for fawns and adults and for males and females. We documented a mixed migration strategy, with most deer migrating once to the winter range in years of heavy snowfalls, but many deer migrating inconsistently or only for a short period to the winter range in one year with very scarce snowfalls. Seasonal home-range sizes were similar for migratory and stationary deer, except in a winter with very shallow snow when migrators used unusually large home ranges. In all seasons, migrators showed a lower within home range site fidelity than did stationary deer. Our results indicate that seasonal migrations may be a common strategy exhibited by roe deer living in mountain areas to avoid deep snow, and that variability in climatic conditions might be responsible for the development of variable spatial strategies

Partial Migration and Effects of Climate on Migratory Movements of Sika Deer in Kirigamine Highland, Central Japan

“…Furthermore, the summer home range of most non-migratory deer overlapped with migratory deer. Mixed-migration pattern of deer in the same area has been explained by variability in climate, especially snow depth (Nicholson et al 1997;Brinkman et al 2005;Ramanzin et al 2007). Snow depth vary by slope aspects, and Borkowski et al (1996) reported that sika deer shift the utilization of slope aspects when snow deepens.…”

“…It has been well documented that cervids in middle to high-latitude regions migrate seasonally between discrete summer and winter ranges (e.g., moose Alces alces: Ball et al 2001; mule deer Odocoileus hemionus: Kufeld et al 1989;Nicholson et al 1997;white-tailed deer O. virginianus: Sabine et al 2002;Brinkman et al 2005; roe deer Capreolus capreolus: Mysterud 1999; Ramanzin et al 2007;Cagnacci et al 2011; red deer Cervus elaphus: Mysterud et al 2011; sika deer C. nippon: Uno and Kaji 2000; Igota et al 2004). The factors affecting migration differs by season.…”

“…Autumn migration, a movement from summer to winter range, is mainly triggered by snow depth (e.g., Tierson et al 1985;Sabine et al 2002;Ramanzin et al 2007) and low ambient temperatures (Nelson 1995). Meanwhile, spring migration, a movement from winter to summer range, is mainly triggered by increasing temperatures and snow melting (e.g., Sabine et al 2002;Brinkman et al 2005;Ramanzin et al 2007). Spring migration in mountain ranges where deer often exhibit altitudinal migration (i.e.…”

Seasonal Migration of Sika Deer in the Oku-Chichibu Mountains, Central Japan

“…Migratory deer rarely exhibits upward migration (Igota et al 2004;Pépin et al 2008), while downward migration is more common to avoid low temperatures and deep snow (e.g., Boyce 1991;Nelson 1995;Nicholson et al 1997;D'Eon and Serrouya 2005;Ramanzin et al 2007;Fieberg et al 2008). In our study, all the deer wintered in relatively high elevation areas (>1,200 m a.s.l.…”

“…Migration, a movement between discrete winter and summer ranges, is one of the common movements of ungulates in middle to high-latitude regions (e.g., Craighead et al 1972;Tierson et al 1985;Garrott et al 1987;Kufeld et al 1989;Boyce 1991;Nicholson et al 1997;Ramanzin et al 2007;Zweifel-Schielly et al 2009). Many studies have indicated that temperate cervids exhibit seasonal migration due to the presence of snow which limit locomotion and food availability (e.g., Fryxell and Sinclair 1988;Nelson 1995;D'Eon and Serrouya 2005).…”