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

雄性和雌性休闲鹿生活在不同的地区，除了10月份的发情期，雄性移居到雌性牧场。从6月份出生开始，幼鹿经历了几个生命关键阶段；最初它们采取了躲藏策略，远离主群生活，完全依赖母亲的营养。7月，母鹿逐渐开始把它们的幼崽带到母鹿群中，公鹿一直呆到8到10个月大，这时一些个体会散开，可以看到它们与雄鹿在一起。调查为什么一些幼年雄鹿离开母鹿群体，进入全雄性(单身汉)群体，而另一些幼鹿则在母鹿群体中停留更长时间，或者根本没有离开。这些选择的差异背后的原因是什么，如果有的话，这种战略差异的适合性后果是什么？离群索居的男性是否在离群索居之前对成长投入更多，他们是否拥有更多的社交网络，他们是否比留下来的男性压力更小或更具攻击性？这个项目将探索行为、成长投资和荷尔蒙(皮质醇和睾酮)之间的联系，与幼鹿决定是否以及何时将其从母鹿群中分散到单身者群中定居有关。

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.