The Key Deer in South Florida

The Key Deer in South Florida

Odocoileus virginianus clavium

by Kenneth Lee

Who are they?

The Key deer is the smallest subspecies of the North American white-tailed deer. A number of characteristics distinguish Key deer from other white-tailed deer; these include high saltwater tolerance, low birth rates, low productivity, more solitary habits, and weak family bonds. The Key deer population is the most genetically divergent deer population in the southeastern United States.

Key deer utilize all types of habitat within their range, including flatwoods, rocklands, and different types of wetland. They may use these habitats seasonally or year-round for shelter, foraging, cover, bedding, and fawning. Bucks associate with females only during the breeding season and will tolerate other males when feeding and bedding only during the non-breeding season. They feed on native plants such as red, black and white mangroves, thatch palm berries and over 160 other species of plants.




What happened to them?
The socio-biology of Key deers in South Florida appear to have changed in recent years as a result of increasing influence and contact by humans. Increase in group size, reduction in movements, and change in behavior from the early 1970s to the early 1990s in several subdivisions indicate increasing domestication of the deer and urbanization of its habitat. Since the widespread settlement of humans in the Keys, Key deer have been exposed to influences they had not evolved to overcome, which almost led to their extinction between 1940-1950 and is the cause of their endangerment today.

Historically, the maximum population of Key deer was probably between 600 to 700 individuals in their historical range.Their population was estimated to be 250 to 300 individuals in 1990, assessed the risk of extinction, predicted the impacts of management options, and set targets for recovery. Road mortality continues to increase, as does habitat fragmentation and loss. As long as such threats exist, the status of the Key deer will continue to be in question.




Why did they get listed?
Over-hunting was the main threat before it was prohibited in the early 1950s. Since then, habitat loss, vehicular traffic, habitat degradation, and illegal feeding threatened the Key Deer population. In recent years, the most intensive threat to the continued existence of the Key deer is the loss or alteration of habitat. Residential and commercial construction activities have destroyed essential components of Key deer habitat including vegetation and freshwater resources. Habitat degradation and fragmentation has reduced the Key deer’s distribution and affected behavior. Habitat fragmentation from fencing and development restricts deer movements, creating bottlenecks that interfere with their ability to reach permanent water and feeding areas and often forcing them to cross roads in areas of heavy traffic.

The Key deer was listed as endangered species in 1967. Efforts to enforce hunting bans and to protect the deer from human disturbance allowed the Key deer population to increase slowly. The Key deer remains federally listed due to the continued loss of its habitat and because of high, human-related moralities and disturbances.


Path of Recovery

The objective of this recovery plan is to reclassify the Key deer from endangered to threatened by protecting, managing, and restoring its habitat in the Lower Keys. A National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 in Big Pine Key, Florida to protect this precious species. The strategy is to minimize human-induced or human-related mortality in order to create optimal environment for Key Deer to live in.

Work Cited

Multi-species Recovery Plan for the Threatened and Endangered Species of South Florida. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1998. Print.

Image
(1) http://www.keydeer.org/images/wobby_fawn_400w.htm
(2) http://blog.tranquilitybay.com/2012/05/spotlight-on-national-key-deer-refuge/
(3) http://www.keydeer.org/images/conch_fawn_k_wheeler_640x482.htm
(4) http://www.fws.gov/nationalkeydeer/national_map.html