Alpine chamois <i>Rupicapra rupicapra</i> (L., 1758) and European roe deer <i>Capreolus capreolus</i> (L., 1758) close together at a salt lick

Abstract

Three sub-adult chamois and two adult male roe deer were sighted in the Western Italian Alps while staying close to each other, without any interspecific interaction, near rocky outcrops with the characteristics of salt licks, likely of natural origin. This is apparently the first report of chamois and roe deer seen together at salt licks and suggests spatial overlap of two ungulates usually observed in different habitats. Their interspecific tolerance might be due to differences in their diets, which might, in turn, depend on overlooked local adaptations to coexist in the same habitat.