GROWTH STUDIES OF REINDEER FAWNS

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Krebs, Charles J., Cowan, I. McT.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1962
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Mackenzie Delta
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z62-078; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z62-078

A study of the growth of reindeer fawns was carried out during the spring and summer of 1958 in the Mackenzie Delta, N.W.T. Growth rates were obtained for four fawns under natural conditions. Early growth of the fawns (0–2 months) can usually be divided into three phases and some possible reasons for this are given. The rate of growth of reindeer fawns is slightly less than that of Columbian black-tailed deer fawns. Some weight data for different sex and age classes of wild reindeer are given, and it is concluded that the Mackenzie Delta reindeer do not differ greatly in growth pattern from Russian reindeer.