OVARIAN ACTIVITY IN CAPTIVE ELD DEER (CERVUS-ELDI-THAMIN)

Urinary pregnanediol-3 alpha-glucuronide was used to track ovarian act ivity in 16 Eld's deer (Cervus eldi thamin) from 23 December 1991 to 1 0 December 1992. All females exhibited a long period of ovarian activi ty (i.e., short anestrus); mean duration of the reproductive season wa s 277.9 +/- 9.7 days (range, 225-342 days), during which females avera ged 13.8 +/- 0.5 estrous cycles (range 10-17). Although our study was conducted on captive females in North America, it suggested that Eld's deer were capable of prolonged ovarian activity. We contend that the lack of seasonality in ovarian activity is predictable based on enviro nmental conditions in the native habitat of Eld's deer and their strat egy of hiding young. Absence of reproductive seasonality may convey a selective advantage to female Eld's deer.