Interspecific Interactions - Exploring the Reproductive Phenology of Feral Horses and Their Interaction with Native Ungulates in Alberta, Canada (Poster)

Abstract

Feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) are a prolific species in western North America. Due to their history of domestication, it is believed they have an extended foaling period compared to native ungulates, such as elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), yet there are few (or no) studies examining this assumption. I will examine this assumption using photos from one year of a multi-species oriented camera trap grid, using a subset of a ~65 camera trap array located in Alberta, Canada where the feral horse population is abundant and growing. I will examine overlap in the presence of offspring to compare the feral horse foaling season to the native species. Depending on the overlap of birthing seasons, I will be able to generate hypotheses regarding potential species interactions between feral horses and other ungulates. This will hopefully help inform future studies and add to our understanding of feral horses in the west.