This study found that reduced summer rainfall in semi-arid Texas led to increased stress hormone levels in lactating female white-tailed deer the following autumn. This demonstrates that environmental stressors can have long-lasting effects on animals, which is important for understanding the potential impacts of climate change on wildlife.
Hediger, J.A., B.D. Spencer, M.R. Rice, M.L. Hopper, R.W. DeYoung, J.A. Ortega-S., T.E. Fulbright, D.G. Hewitt, A.M. Foley, L.R. Schofield, T.A. Campbell, M.J. Sheriff, and M.J. Cherry. 2024. Physiological carry-over effects of variable precipitation are mediated by reproductive status in a long-lived ungulate. Conservation Physiology 12:coae045 https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae045. (East Foundation Manuscript 103).
