Everything about Rut Mammalian Reproduction totally explained
The Rut is the period of time when antlered
ungulates mate. Ungulates include
deer,
sheep,
elk,
moose,
caribou,
ibex,
goats,
pronghorn and Asian and African
antelope.
During the rut (also known as the rutting period), males (terms include 'buck' deer, 'bull' elk and moose, and 'rams' (male sheep)) often rub their
antlers or horns on trees or shrubs, fight with each other, while out, and pursue estrus females by their scent.
White-tailed deer
The rut for
white-tailed deer usually lasts from 1-3 months in the
Northern Hemisphere and may occur most of the year in tropical zones. The Rut is triggered by a shortening of the length of daylight hours (referred to as photoperiod) each day. The dates of the rut for different species depends on the length of their
gestation period (length of
pregnancy). Many species breed so that their young are born in the spring, shortly after new green growth has appeared (which provides food for the females, allowing them to provide milk for the young), and when the temperatures are warm enough that the young won't die of
hypothermia.
The Rut is the time when white-tailed deer (
Odocoileus virginianus), especially bucks, are more active and less cautious than usual. This makes them easier to hunt, as well as more susceptible to being hit by motor vehicles.
Some people believe that the white-tailed deer rut is also controlled by the
lunar phase and that the rut peaks seven days after the second full moon (the rutting moon) after the
autumnal equinox on
September 21. However, study of white-tailed doe conception dates conducted in
Minnesota between
1980 and
1987 showed no correlation between peak breeding dates of white-tailed deer and any lunar phase. More evidence for this came from a student study at the
University of Georgia.
A white-tail doe may be in
estrus for up to 72 hours, and may come into estrus up to seven times if she doesn't mate. Cow elk may come into estrus up to four or more times if they don't mate.
Further Information
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