Recent Studies of White-Tailed Deer in the Neotropics

Abstract

The white-tailed deer is the species with the greatest distribution in the American continent. This deer is considered a species with high plasticity because it lives in different types of vegetation ranging from temperate forests to dry tropical forests, arid zones and secondary vegetation. The distribution and results of genetic studies about the subspecies are presented in this chapter. According to different studies about the diet, deer selects a high number of plant species from different families, but particularly consumes a greater percentage of few shrubs and trees. Analyzing the nutritional composition of the deer diet, it is found that the amount of crude protein and acid detergent fiber were lower in the winter diet compared to that of autumn and spring, the digestibility was higher in autumn than in the other seasons. Movement of white-tailed deer could be influenced by many ecological, environmental, and behavioral variables. The animal energetic requirements depend on the basal metabolism, behavior and physiological conditions. Each animal activity represents an energy cost. We presented knowledge about home range size and activity patterns of the species. Variation in the reproductive chronology of the white-tailed deer in the region has been linked to environmental variables associated with latitude such as photoperiods and food availability. Deer population density is one of the parameters most evaluated in different regions and habitat types. The population estimation of deer is one of the central themes in Latin America, mainly in Mexico, since this allows to make a sustainable use of the species from the hunting point of view. The most important diseases that affect the health of deer are gastrointestinal parasitosis caused mainly by helminths and protozoa. Deer selects specific sites to rest, ruminate and protect their young. Therefore, these sites should offer food, water, protection against predators and thermal cover that allows deer to minimize both the absorption of heat by exposure to the sun and the loss of water by transpiration. Some studies have compared deer preferences between conserved sites and sites disturbed by human activity. In relation to habitat quality, differences in use have been found. Although the species is highly adaptable and widely distributed, we can ensure that it has populations that are exploited in a sustainable manner, but some of the subspecies may be at risk from poaching and severe transformation of their habitat.