Big Cypress deer/panther relationships: deer herd health and reproduction
Mccown JW. 1991. Big Cypress deer/panther relationships: deer herd health and reproduction. Final Report Study Number: 7508 Federal Number: E-1 II-E-5a. Florida Game And Fresh Water Fish Commission. Tallahassee, FL
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) track counts, observations, and a fall collection of doc deer were utilized to compare deer herds inhabiting Florida panther (Felis concolor corvi) habitat in the Bear Island (BI) and Corn Dance Units (CDU) of Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP), Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve (FS), Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (PR) and Collier Enterprise (CE) lands. Necropsies were used to obtain standard body measurements,kidney fat indices (KFI's), amounts of fat on the tail, kidney, pericardia! lining and heart, abomasal parasite loads, inter-uterine fecundity and physical condition. Although the FS herd increased during this study, deer in FS, CDU and PR were less numerous than deer in BI. Deer in FS and CDU had lower KFI's,tail fat and physical condition values than deer in BI, PR and CE. Deer from FS and CDU had fecundity rates less than 1.0 fawns per adult female while females from other areas produced more than 1.0 fawns per adult female. There was an inverse relationship between physical condition and APC's.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Mccown, James
- Date of Issue
- 1991
- Publisher
- Florida Game And Fresh Water Fish Commission
- Units
- BICY
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Bear Island Big Cypress National Preserve FL, Corn Dance Big Cypress National Preserve FL, Diet, Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi), Health, Predation, White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)