Establishing reproductive seasons for the conservation of the critically endangered Kashmir red deer Cervus Hanglu.

ABSTRACT: Ungulates living in seasonal environments adopt complex life history strategies to cope with pronounced temporal and spatial variability in environmental conditions and resource availability. Understanding the reproductive strategies of slow-breeding mountain ungulates and the associated stress, particularly in the context of human- and climate-induced changes, is crucial to devising effective long-term management and conservation strategies. We investigated the patterns in reproductive seasonality and stress in hangul in Kashmir Himalaya, India. We used fecal metabolites of estradiol (FEMs), progesterone (FPMs), testosterone (FAMs), and glucocorticoids (FGMs) to discern reproductive stages and stress levels. We showed that female hangul exhibited dispersed mating and birth patterns, while

SUBMITTER: Srivastava T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11811425 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature