Influence of Water Availability and Rainfall on Movements of Desert Mule Deer

The authors describe movements of desert mule deer in an area of southwest Arizona having limited rainfall and few permanent-water sources. The objectives were to determine the influence of availability of water and rainfall patterns on movements of desert mule deer; test McNab's (1963) hypothesis that animals in xeric regions have larger home ranges than conspecifics in more mesic regions; and test the hypothesis that desert mule deer inhabiting an area with geographically unpredictable summer rainfall move to that part of their home range that receives the greatest rainfall and has the most nutritious and succulent forage, as do some ungulates and other large mammals living in deserts.