Abstract
The aim of this study was to provide information on the reproductive biology of brocket deer. Hence, we analyzed female reproductive tracts collected by rural hunters from 1991 to 1998 in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Communal Reserve, northeastern Peruvian Amazon. We characterized the basic reproductive biology of brocket deer, analyzed whether the distributions of conceptions and births are aseasonal, and compared their reproductive productivity in two different areas subject to heavy and slight hunting pressures, respectively. We found that: (1) red and gray brocket deer did not differ in ovulation, fertilization, and pregnancy rates; (2) average number of fetuses per birth was 1.2 for red brocket deer and one for gray brocket deer; (3) sex of fetuses suggests a male biased sex ratio for both species; (4) neither species shows reproductive seasonality; and (5) gross productivity does not differ between heavily and slightly hunted areas. Our results indicate that brocket deer exhibit reproductive characteristics similar to their conspecifics in other parts of their native distribution range.
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Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank all the people from the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Communal Reserve who participated actively in data collection, which shows that communal participation is an important step in the development of wildlife management. We also extend our thanks to P. Puertas, E. Pezo, C. Lopez, M. Overjluiz and L.C. Watson for their kind assistance during research and publication process.
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Hurtado-Gonzales, J.L., Bodmer, R.E. Reproductive biology of female Amazonian brocket deer in northeastern Peru. Eur J Wildl Res 52, 171–177 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-006-0034-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-006-0034-6