Morphometric characterization of four white-tailed deer subspecies (Odocoileus virginianus) in the northeast region of Mexico

Abstract

With the objective of contributing in the definition of the subspecies of white-tailed deer in Mexico, the morphometric variability of the subspecies distributed in the Northeast of Mexico was determined (Odocoileus virginianus carminis, O. v. miquihuanensis, O.v. texanus and O. v. veraecrucis). The records of 592 animals were analyzed (579 O. v. texanus, six O. v. veraecrucis, four O. v. miquihuanensis and three O. v. carminis), and 49 O. v. texanus skulls. The comparison between the historical measurements and that ones of the present study showed 98\% of similarity for O. v. carminis, O. v. miquihuanensis and O. v. veraecrucis and 96\% for O. v. texanus. The orthogonal contrasts showed morphometric differences (P < 0,05) among the subspecies. In the O. v. texanus, the total longitude was longer that in the other subspecies, while O. v. veraecrucis showed significant differences regarding O. v. carminis and O. v. miquihuanensis in all the variables. The highest similarity for Euclidean Distance was between the O. v. carminis and O. v. miquihuanensis males (5.1), while the smaller similarity was between the O. v. texanus males and those of the other three subspecies (19.9). The adult males of Tamaulipas significantly differed (P < 0.05) of those of Coahuila and New Leon.