Would that lend any credence to theories that the extreme south Florida (Zone A, Okeechobee and south) rut in July and August is because fawns born during the rainy season would have less chance to survive in watery areas rife with mosquitoes, snakes and predators?
Clem,
Everglades breeding/fawning dates are probably THE top example of how localized conditions can produce truly bizarre rut dates through Natural Selection. Much of the Everglades is one huge, shallow, slow-moving river, with standing water often extending for miles in all directions. In this environment, newborn fawns could easily drown. However, south Florida does have a dry season, which happens to be January through March. At that time of year, water levels are usually lowest and dry ground easiest to find. Through Natural Selection, those deer that by random genetic variation displayed the earliest breeding dates in fall produced the most surviving fawns, passing that genetic trait down from generation to generation. Eventually, genetic variation and Natural Selection of the best breeding dates for newborn survival shifted the rut into July And August so that fawns are born during the dry season in January through March.
