干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

We examined survivorship and cause-specific mortality in sympatric populations of mountain sheep, Ovis canadensis, and mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus, inhabiting a remote region of California. Predation by mountain lions, Fume concolor, was confirmed in 75% (n = 9) of sheep deaths and 55% (n = 5) of investigated deer deaths. Overall, sheep end deer survived at nearly identical rates; however, female sheep survived at a significantly higher rate than did males, consistent with the hypothesis that differential use of habitats by gender results in greater risk to males. In California, there are indications that impacts by mountain lions to mountain sheep populations are restricted to areas where mountain sheep and mule deer are sympatric.