Stenström, D., Dahlblom, S., Jones Fur, C. & Höglund, J. 2000: Rutting pit distribution and the significance of fallow deer Dama dama scrapes during the rut. - Wildl. Biol. 6: 23-29.
We studied the distribution of rutting pits and the role of scraping during the rut in a south Swedish population of fallow deer Dama dama. Pits are large patches of bare soil found at the centre of mating stands where most of the rutting activities take place. The location of rutting pits in the study area was not significantly different from a random distribution in any of the five years of the study. Thus, there was no evidence of aggregation of rutting pits. Scrapes are small patches of bare soil found throughout the areas of deer activity. Only bucks showed any interest in scrapes. Within a 10 day period half the scrapes were rescraped at least once. Larger scrapes were more frequently rescraped than smaller ones. Frayings, i.e. removal of bark and subsequent scent marking on bushes and small trees close to scrapes, also had a positive effect on the frequency of rescraping. Artificial scrapes made close to real scrapes attracted less rescraping than natural scrapes. This might indicate that a scrape is preferentially rescraped by the buck who first created it. We found a tendency that scrapes were made in the direction of other stands/pits, possibly indicating that they may function as territorial marks. However, the fallow deer bucks in our study do not seem to mark territorial boundaries, rather the intensity of markings tends to decrease with distance from the rutting pit suggesting that scraping may instead be used in male status signalling.
Key words: Dama dama, fallow deer, scent marking, scrapes
David Stenström & Cheryl Jones Fur, Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden - e-mail: David.Stenstrom@zoologi.uu.se
Jacob Höglund, Department of Population Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
Stina Dahlblom, Smultronvägen 4, SE-314 32 Hyltebruk, Sweden
Received 9 April 1999, accepted 20 January 2000
Associate Editor: Jean-Michel Gaillard