Red deer males are famed for their battles—but is violence the only possibility, or do some choose peace?
In this article we examine behavioral consistency and hormonal responses in red deer males during antler growth, specifically focusing on their fighting behavior.
The study identifies individuals as "Non-Fighters" or "Fighters" based on their aggression levels and investigates if this characteristic remains consistent across different social groupings over three years. While the deer showed some behavioral flexibility in response to changing group dynamics, their tendency to fight at different frequencies persisted. we supported our findings with hormonal data, measuring cortisol and testosterone levels throughout the seasons. we found that cortisol was influenced by social situation and fighting behavior, but testosterone levels did not significantly differ between the two groups.
Find more about this study here.
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