Tm. Caro et al., TAIL-FLAGGING AND OTHER ANTIPREDATOR SIGNALS IN WHITE-TAILED DEER - NEW DATA AND SYNTHESIS, Behavioral ecology, 6(4), 1995, pp. 442-450
We present a series of predictions concerning the costs and benefits o
f antipredator behavior in ungulates and then test them with data on w
hite-tailed deer reacting to a human on foot. Costs of tail-flagging w
ere apparently low and no data supported the idea that flagging serves
as a warning signal to conspecifics, in either this or in other studi
es. Flagging deer fled at greater speeds than nonflaggers, indicating
that flagging could possibly signal prey's ability to escape. Dropping
the tail at the end of the flight may additionally have made deer inc
onspicuous. Snorting did not appear directed at conspecifics, and comp
arative data suggest that it signals that the predator has been detect
ed. In contrast, foot-stamping was effective in alerting other deer to
the observer's presence. Deer may have bounded to clear obstacles alo
ng their flight path. These preliminary data indicate that several asp
ects of antipredator behavior in white-tailed deer may be pursuit-dete
rrent signals, and they therefore highlight the necessity of observing
natural predators' reactions to signals given by deer in future studi
es.