Comparative Study On Sexual Segregation Of Hainan Eld's Deer At Different Habitat

Sexual segregation on ungulates had become a concentrated study area and several hypotheses were given in the past years. However, these hypotheses were focus on animal's physiological and behavior to explain sexual segregation, but the effect of related environmental/habitat factors have been neglected. We intends to propose advanced explanation or hypothesis by studying on the Hainan eld's deer at different habitat conditions. We have choice forage conditions and shelter conditions to explain the relation ship between environment factors and sexual segregation.Forage conditions in Chihao area better than Bangxi area in same season, rainy season better than dry season in same sampling area. Shelter conditions in Bangxi area better than Chihao area in same season, rainy season better than dry season in same sampling area. Our result showed that sexual segregation in Hainan eld's deer can not be explained by any single hypotheses. In rain season, sexual segregation in Hainan eld's deer suit forage selection hypothesis and predation risk hypothesis at Chihao area, but can not be explained by any hypotheses at Bangxi area. In dry season, sexual segregation can be explained by forage selection hypothesis at Chihao area, it adapt to forage selection hypothesis and predation risk hypothesis at Bangxi area.In Chihao area, forage conditions are not so rich in dry season, so that forage conditions is a single key factor for eld's deer, and sexual segregation can be explained by forage selection hypothesis, but in rain season, forage conditions richness become very high than dry season, in this way, forage conditions is key factor for sexual segregation, but not only factor, Shelter conditions influence sexual segregation as a follow key factor, thus, sexual segregation can be explained by forage selection hypothesis and predation risk hypothesis. Because of high population density of eld's deer at Bangxi area, so that here poor in forage in rain season and dry season. But forage conditions ameliorated by forage supply in dry season, male select more supplied forage then female, but female select habitat which high forage conditions, so that, sexual segregation suit for forage selection hypothesis. However, forage conditions still poor in rain season, sexual segregation index very low, sexual segregation can not be explained by any hypotheses. Because of forage conditions improved in dry season, and the influence of shelter conditions become important, predation risk hypothesis use for explain sexual segregation.We can find sexual segregation has not determined by single reason, it has multiple causal explanation. Forage conditions is key factor for sexual segregation, and shelter conditions is subaltern factor.