The Influence of Photoperiod, Intake of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Food Availability on Seasonal Acclimatization in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

Hypometabolism and hypothermia are common reactions of birds and mammals to cope with harsh winter conditions. In small mammals, the occurrence of hibernation and daily torpor is entrained by photoperiod, and the magnitude of hypometabolism and decrease of body temperature (T_b) is influenced by the dietary supply of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. We investigated whether similar effects exist in a non-hibernating large mammal, the red deer (Cervus elaphus). We fed adult females with pellets enriched with either linoleic acid (LA) or α-linolenic acid (ALA) during alternating periods of ad libitum and restricted feeding in a cross-over experimental design. Further, we scrutinized the role of photoperiod for physiological and behavioral seasonal changes by manipulating the amount of circulating melatonin. The deer were equipped with data loggers recording heart rate, core and peripheral T_b, and locomotor activity. Further, we regularly weighed the animals and measured their daily intake of food pellets. All physiological and behavioral parameters measured varied seasonally, with amplitudes exacerbated by restricted feeding, but with only few and inconsistent effects of supplementation with LA or ALA. Administering melatonin around the summer solstice caused a change into the winter phenotype weeks ahead of time in all traits measured. We conclude that red deer reduce energy expenditure for thermoregulation upon short daylength, a reaction amplified by food restriction.