Territorial behaviour of male roe deer: a telemetry study of spatial behaviour and activity levels

Abstract. The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is considered a special case of territorial ungulate. This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of male roe deer territoriality by exploring its spatial use and activity patterns. We divided the territorial period (March–August) into three two-month sampling periods and found that the home range (HR) size of 13 radio-collared males averaged from 47.9 ± 14.5 ha to 109.7 ± 31.9 ha. We classified the spatial behaviour of eight out of the 13 males into three groups and concluded that HR size variation alone did not explain the potential territorial status. Nevertheless, it was indicative of their territorial status when considered along with the bucks’ age, spatial movements and activity levels. The activity levels of July–August were significantly lower than the activity levels of March–April. HR size variation of the males monitored significantly contributed to explain the variations in their activity levels. Old bucks were significantly less active than other males, especially during July–August. To sum up, we found an indication of an influence of spatial profiles on activity levels, though a larger sample will be needed in order to better understand differences in age and territorial status, and inter-individual differences in activity.