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Sex/age differences in foraging, vigilance and alertness in a social herbivore

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Abstract

Antipredator strategies and social factors may influence vigilance behaviour in herbivores. Vigilance can differ between sex/age classes, but information is contradictory in the existing literature. We investigated sex/age differences of vigilance in fallow deer Dama dama, in a Mediterranean area. Females (> 1 year old) showed a lower proportion of time foraging and a greater alertness rate than males (≥ 1 years old). Decrease of vigilance with increasing group size was observed for females and adult males, but not for young and subadult males, suggesting that group-size effects on vigilance were not consistent across individuals of different sex/age classes. Most likely, females tended to reduce the predation risk for their offspring through a comparatively greater duration and frequency of vigilance. Young/subadult males showed a greater alertness than adult males, which may depend on intraspecific competition in larger groups. Both antipredator and social factors could explain sex/age differences of vigilance in fallow deer.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the MRP Agency and A. Vivarelli Colonna, who authorised us to carry out observations on their lands. We are indebted to S. Lovari, who supported and gave feedback to F.F. throughout the study, to A. Sforzi for suggestions and backing in the initial stages of this work, and to the MRP staff for logistical support and backing. We are grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an early draft of this manuscript.

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F.F. planned this study, collected data in 2006-2008, performed statistical analyses, supervised all stage of this study and participated in writing up all drafts. I.P. collected data in 2012–2013 and participated in writing up all drafts. N.F. performed statistical analyses and participated in writing up. E.M. participated in data discussion and in writing up.

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Correspondence to Francesco Ferretti.

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Pecorella, I., Fattorini, N., Macchi, E. et al. Sex/age differences in foraging, vigilance and alertness in a social herbivore. acta ethol 22, 1–8 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-018-0300-0

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