Seasonal changes of reproductive behavior and fecal steroid concentrationsin Pere David's deer

From July 1997 to September 1997 and from March 1998 to July 1998, we studi ed reproductive behaviors of Pere David's deer in Dafeng, China. During the field behavioral observations, we collected fresh voided fecal samples fro m the Pere David's stags and hinds periodically and kept those samples unde r -20 degreesC until laboratory analysis. We analyzed the fecal testosteron e, estradiol, and progesterone concentrations in those samples using radioi mmunoassay. During this study, we also recorded 17 types of male reproducti ve behaviors and nine types of female reproductive behaviors. Reproductive behaviors and the fecal steroid concentrations showed overt seasonal fluctu ations. There were statistically significant correlations between some male reproductive behaviors, such as anogenital sniffing, urine sniffing, urine spraying, wallowing, bellowing, antler adorning, Antler swags mud, chasing , herding hinds, chin resting, mounting and copulating, with the fecal test osterone concentrations. These results suggested that seasonal reproductive behaviors in stags are strongly associated with circulating testosterone. We also found that some female reproductive behaviors fluctuate correspondi ng with changes in fecal estrogen concentrations. Although there was no dir ect evidence to confirm the correlations between female reproductive behavi ors and fecal estrogen in our experiment, we could not rule out that reprod uctive activities of hinds were largely related to ovarian estrogen secreti on, and estrogen is necessary for inducing female reproductive behaviors. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science.