Marsh Deer (Blastocerus Dichotomus) ranging patterns in the Paraná River Valley, Brazil

Abstract

Twenty-two marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) were capturedand radiocollared four different sites along the Paraná River Brazil, to verify their seasonal movements and home range size. Five of these animals were transported 50 Km away from their capture site to provide data on the effects of translocation on their survival and ranging patterns. Marsh deer were monitored from October 1993 to Decemher 1994, and core areas and home-range sizes were determined by the harmonic mean method. Males had larger home ranges than females, and individual ranges were larger during the flood than during the rest of the year. However, core areas did not differ in size hetween males andfemales or between flood and dry seasons for individual marsh deer. Translocated individuais did not differ in survival or ranging patternsfrom native marsh deer.