Post-weaning dispersal behaviour of male fallow deer fawns: Investigation the role of behaviour, growth and stress

雄性和雌性的休闲鹿居住在不同的地区，除了十月的发情期，雄性会搬到雌性的范围。从6月出生开始，小鹿经历了几个生命的关键阶段;最初，它们采取了躲藏的策略，远离主群生活，完全依赖母亲的营养。7月，母鹿逐渐开始将小鹿带到母鹿群中，公鹿一直呆到8到10个月大，这时一些个体分散开来，可以观察到它们与公巴克斯在公鹿领地上的联系。调查为什么一些少年雄性小鹿从他们的母亲组，并建立自己的所有男性（单身汉）组，而其他停留更长的时间与他们的母亲组，或根本没有离开。这些选择差异的根本原因是什么？如果有的话，这种策略差异的适应性后果是什么？分散的雄性在分散之前是否对增长投入更多，他们是否有更多的社交网络，他们是否比留下的雄性压力更小或更具侵略性？这个项目将探讨行为之间的联系，投资在增长和激素（皮质醇和睾丸激素）有关的小鹿的决定是否，以及何时从母鹿群分散到居住在单身汉牛群。

Male and female fallow deer inhabit different territories, except for the October rut where males move to the female range. From birth in June fawns go through several life-critical stages; initially they adopt a hider strategy, live away from the main herd and are fully dependent on the mother for nutrition. In July, mothers gradually begin to bring their fawns into the doe herd where males remain until aged between eight and ten months when some individuals disperse and can be observed associating with the bucks in the male territories. Investigating why some juvenile male fawns move from their maternal groups and establish themselves in the all-male (bachelor) group, whilst other stay longer with their maternal group, or fail to leave at all. What are the reasons underlying the disparity in these choices, and what, if any, are the fitness consequences for this difference in strategy? Do males that disperse invest in more in growth prior to dispersal, do they have more connected social networks, are they are less stressed or more aggressive than males that remain? This project will explore the links between behaviour, investment in growth and hormones (cortisol and testosterone) in relation to the fawn's decision whether, and when to time its dispersal from the doe herd to take up residence in the bachelor herd.