Evaluation of relation between body parameters and autumn-winter food availability in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) population in central Italy: a biometrical approach.

The numerical growth of roe deer has resulted in a noticeable increase in hunting activities (Becciolini et al. 2016) and the spreading of the practice of biometric analysis (Morellet et al. 2007). Biometric analysis allows to get information about the population by describing trends and variations and, then, plan the consequent management decisions (Vitanzi et al. 2010). We analysed biometric data of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) belonging to Classes 0 and 2 in a population living in central Italy. To assess the relationship between body parameters and trophic resources available during the autumn-winter period, three environmental categories based on the carrying capacity were assessed and the specific environmental category was assigned to each sample. Several parameters were analysed: live weight (LW), head–trunk length (HTL), height at shoulders (HS), chest circumference (CC), length of hock (HL), total length of the cranium (TL), condilo-basal length (CBL), mastoid width (MW), zygomatic width (ZW), ectorbital width (ECW), entorbital width (ENW), teeth row length (TRL) and mandible length (ML). Statistical analysis was performed using generalized linear modelling, a rank-based estimate of regression coefficients, and the Wald test. In Class 0, only ZW showed significant differences both between sexes and among the environmental categories. In Class 2, the analysis showed significant differences between sexes for LW, HTL, HL and ZW while, among environmental categories, the analysis showed significant differences for LW, HTL, CC, HL, ECW, and TRL. This approach, applied to a broader database could be useful to identify suitable parameters to plan a better selective hunting of roe deer.