PARASITISM AND WHITE-TAILED DEER - TIMING AND COMPONENTS OF FEMALE REPRODUCTION

Traits contributing to reproductive success in female white-tailed dee r were evaluated for uninfected and liver fluke-infected individuals o n the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. Mean body weight for f luke-infected females was significantly greater than for uninfected in dividuals for all habitat-age classes examined. Conception dates for f luke-infected females were significantly earlier than those for uninfe cted females in two habitat types. There was a trend for larger propor tions of single offspring in fluke-infected females. Condition values (kidney fat index) of infected females were lower than those of non-in fected females.