RITUAL REQUIREMENTS 



Not known. 



OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL 

 REQUIREMENTS 



Adult males maintain home ranges of about 

 120 ha (and larger during the breeding season), 

 and adult females range over about 50 ha (Klim- 

 stra 1979). 



POPULATION NUMBERS AND TRENDS 



Dickson (1955) estimated the population at 

 25 to 80 individuals. Numbers have increased 

 since then to between 300 and 400 animals, and 

 the population is now believed stable (Klimstra 

 1979). 



The official estimate of the National Key 

 Deer Wildlife Refuge is 600 animals, but this may 

 be re\i:5ed downward as monthly census data are 

 analyzed 'D. Kosin personal communication). 



REPRODUCTION 



Dickson (1955) stated that there was no spe- 

 cial breeding season, although Klimstra (1979) 

 observed a breeding peak in September and Octo- 

 ber. Territorial activity seems limited to defend- 

 ing a receptive doe from other bucks (Klimstra et 

 al. 1974). Dickson (1955) observed evidence of 

 fighting between adult bucks in February. Bucks 

 with full racks are generally the earliest breeders, 

 and exclude yearling males and those with lesser 

 racks. 



The gestation period is 204 days, with peak of 

 fav^ming coinciding with the rainy season in April 

 and May (Dickson 1955, Khmstra 1979). Birth of 

 fawns occurs in all habitat types, but usually in 

 areas of open understory. 



Key deer have a relatively low reproductive 

 rate, with an average of 1.08 fawns per adult doe 

 annually (Khmstra et al. 1974). Male fawns out- 

 number females, but the sex ratio changes until 

 adult females outnumber males by 2.38 to 1. Fif- 

 ty percent of male fawns survive 1.5 years, and 

 50% of female fawns survive 2.1 years (Klimstra 

 et al. 1974). Longevity records are 8 years for 

 males and 9 years for females. 



Adult females form loose matriarchal groups 

 with one or two generations of offspring, while 

 bucks feed and bed together during the nonbreed- 

 ing season only (Klimstra 1979). 



MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION 



In 1954, the National Key Deer Wildlife Re- 

 fuge was established and now includes 1,764 ha, 

 of which 300 ha are leased. Since 1954, the deer 

 population has increased by more than 600%, and 

 is now considered to be stable. 



Recommendations for management include 

 continuation of closed season, acquisition of addi- 

 tional habitat on Big Pine, No Name, and Cudjoe 

 Keys, controlled burning in pinelands, mainten- 

 ance of existing waterholes, fencing of islands 

 where refuge lands and subdivisions adjoin, popu- 

 lation and habitat monitoring, visitor manage- 

 ment, and additional research on all aspects of 

 key deer biology (Khmstra et al. 1974, Klimstra 

 1979). 



AUTHORITIES 



Donald J. Kosin, Refuge Manager 

 National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge 

 P.O. Box 510 

 Big Pine Key, FL 33043 



W. D. Klimstra, Director 

 Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory 

 Southern Illinois University 

 Carbondale.IL 62901 



PREPARER'S COMMENTS 



Khmstra et al. (1974) noted that key deer 

 appear to be growing to a larger size in the last 

 few years, perhaps due to improved nutrition. 

 The tiixonomic status of the key deer has been 

 questioned and is now under investigation by 

 Klimstra and others. 



LITERATURE CITED/SELECTED 

 REFERENCES 



Alexander, T. R., and J. H. Dickson. 1970. Vege- 

 tational changes in the National Key Deer Re- 

 fuge. Q. J. Florida Acad. Sci. 33(2):81-89. 



. 1972. Vegetational changes in the Na- 

 tional Key Deer Refuge -II. Q. J. Florida 

 Acad. Sci. 35(2):85-96. 



Barbour, T., and G. M. Allen. 1922. The white- 

 tailed deer of eastern United States. J. Mam- 

 mal. 3(2):65-78. 



Dickson, J. D., III. 1955. An ecological study of 

 the Key deer. Florida Game Fresh Water Fish 

 Comm., Tech. Bull. 3. 104 pp. 



