White-tailed deer vigilance: the influence of social and environmental factors

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 5;9(3):e90652. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090652. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Vigilance behavior may directly affect fitness of prey animals, and understanding factors influencing vigilance may provide important insight into predator-prey interactions. We used 40,540 pictures taken withcamera traps in August 2011 and 2012to evaluate factors influencing individual vigilance behavior of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) while foraging at baited sites. We used binary logistic regression to determine if individual vigilance was affected by age, sex, and group size. Additionally, we evaluated whether the time of the day,moon phase,and presence of other non-predatorwildlife species impacted individual vigilance. Juveniles were 11% less vigilant at baited sites than adults. Females were 46% more vigilant when fawns were present. Males and females spent more time feeding as group size increased, but with each addition of 1 individual to a group, males increased feeding time by nearly double that of females. Individual vigilance fluctuated with time of day andwith moon phase but generally was least during diurnal and moonlit nocturnal hours, indicating deer have the ability to adjust vigilance behavior to changing predation risk associated with varyinglight intensity.White-tailed deer increased individual vigilance when other non-predator wildlife were present. Our data indicate that differential effects of environmental and social constraints on vigilance behavior between sexes may encourage sexual segregation in white-tailed deer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Deer / physiology*
  • Environment*
  • Female
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Moon
  • North Carolina
  • Predatory Behavior / physiology*
  • Social Behavior*
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

Funding was provided by Fort Bragg Wildlife Branch and the United States Department of Defense. The funders designed the sampling scheme and camera trap positions based on proper techniques for white-tailed deer population surveys as indicated by previous literature; however, the funders had no role in data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.