Social rank and reproductive performance of pampas deer females (Ozotoceros bezoarticus, Linnaeus, 1758)

• We studied the relationship between pampas deer females’ social rank, reproductive performance and mother reaction to handling of the fawn.
• The calving date, fawns’ sex and fawns’ birth weight was not affected by females’ social rank.
• High-ranked females maintained greater distance to the humans that handled their fawns than low-ranked females.
• We suggest that the humans are perceived different according to the female social rank.

Our objectives were to determine if success index of pampas deer females is related with females’ age and if social rank makes any influence on reproductive performance. Female social rank was determined in 18 groups of animals composed of 1 male: 5–9 females (total = 98 females). Date of parturition for each female and sex and birth weight of fawns were recorded for each birth. The females were categorized in three hierarchical ranks: low (<0.33) (group LR), medium (0.33–0.66) (group MR), and high (>0.66) (group HR). The success index increased with age in pampas deer females (P < 0.001). Social rank had no effect on calving success, relative calving dates, sex ratio or body weight at birth. In this study, the success index was related with females’ age, and the reproductive performance did not differ between females of different social ranks.