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Rum Deer Research

@rumdeerresearch.bsky.social

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Research findings and news from a long-term study of Red Deer on the Isle of Rum National Nature Reserve, Scotland. https://rumdeer.bio.ed.ac.uk/ #isleofrum #deer #reddeer #cervuselaphus #science #reddeerresearch

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 5d

And finally... Coypu19, on the left earlier seen in the year still in velvet was in the study area during the rut. His father is Longbeys is on the right. Their antlers are very similar in shape.

Stag Coypu19 looking at the camera, his antlers still covered in protective velvet. Picture taken in during summer 2025.

Stag Longbeys standing looking at the camera. Hinds Murre, feeding, and Pipit lying are in the background.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

2 of 2. Eddy 16 and Lalo are evenly matched and after two minutes agree to disagree, moving cautiously away from one another.

Stags Eddy16 and Lalo fight, antlers locked, their heads twisted hard to the left as they try to gain better purchase against one another

Stags Eddy16 and Lalo have parted and are cautiously moving away from one another. Eddy16 looks like he could fight more, Lalo is panting and looks exhausted.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

1 of 2. Eddy16, left and Lalo right (in both pictures) fight. Eddy16 seems to have the upper hand as he pushes Lalo back, one tip of an antler tine so very close to Lalo's eye.

Two stags fight, their antlers locked. Eddy16 is on the left extending his body in full power. Lalo on the right is being pushed backwards, and only has one back leg on the ground

Eddy16 and Lalo continue fighting, antlers locked. The tip of one of Eddy16's antler tines is so close to Lalo's eye. It shows how easily eye injuries occur.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

This is a young incoming stag that we have not seen before, so he has been named Herbert and we estimate him to be about 5 years old. He has been very enthusiastic around the hinds.

Stag Herbert stands looking intently left to his hinds that are out of shot. It is raining.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

Hodges, another incoming rutter, did very well early on in the rut. The nicks in his ears show where he has been injured in previous battles, and are also great for identification.

Extreme close up of stag Hodges, showing the natural slits of the top sides of his ears that help us identify him.

Extreme close up of stag Hodges as he looks intently to the right, keeping watch on everything that is happening.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

Here is another set of brothers, Gorgonzola19, left and Gorgonzola20. These boys, along with their brother from 2022, are all that remain of our once illustrious Cheese family.

Stag Gorgonzola19 stands looking at the camera.

Stag Gorgonzola 20 stands looking at the camera

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

Scottie has been coming back to the study area to rut for 5 years now. As an incoming rutter, we don't know where he lives for the rest of the year. He is very distinctive with his wide antlers and pale eyes. Saba is ruminating behind him.

Stag Scottie is looking straight at the camera showing off his wide antlers and pale eyes. Hind Saba is ruminating unconcernedly behind him.

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

It can get confusing when brothers are both rutting, but at least Eddy15, left, and Eddy16 were in different parts of the study area!

Stag Eddy15 standing, yearling Bolly24 is in the corner of the picture

Stag Eddy16 lies in the marram grass, hind Karuka is standing grooming herself behind him.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

We were amazed when 15 year old Sitar10 returned. He was blinded in his right eye a good few years ago in a fight. After this was taken, he must have fought as part of his broken right antler was found!

15 year old stag Sitar10, who is blind in his right eye

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

Sepal09 on the left, our favourite hummel, unfortunately didn't return this rut, so must have died last winter. His son Reggae19 has been in with a group of hinds just recently. We hope he will do well in coming years.

A stag called Sepal09, stands sniffing the air. He is a hummel - a stag with no antlers

A stag called Reggae19, stands proudly. He has a full set of antlers

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · 6d

For a number of reasons we have not been posting this rut, but now we're back.
Here is Tokay13 looking like he means business. He was in the Glen early on in the season.

Tokay13 stag running towards a hind that is out of shot, looking very excited.

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Reposted by Rum Deer Research

Adam Hasik @hasikadam.bsky.social · Oct 2

New paper alert! In my second first-author paper from my work on the Isle of Rum Red Deer Project @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social we show, for only the second time in a wild population, that parasites mediate inbreeding depression.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Parasite-mediated inbreeding depression in wild red deer

Heredity - Parasite-mediated inbreeding depression in wild red deer

www.nature.com

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Sep 23

Hodges has two oestrus hinds today, Baru and Squilla
#mammals #deer #science #evobio

A Red Deer stag we call Hodges roaring and 2 hinds in oestrus we call Baru and Squilla

Reposted by Rum Deer Research

Delphine De Moor @delphinedemoor.bsky.social · Aug 29

Hannah Lemon gave a very clear and interesting talk about social inheritance of social relationships from mothers to their daughters and sons (to a lesser extent) in the Rum red deer @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social.

@behaviour2025.bsky.social @asab.org

Hannah Lemon presenting a slide showing networks of mothers and their offspring, where offspring inherited some of the social partners of the mother

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Reposted by Rum Deer Research

Adam Hasik @hasikadam.bsky.social · Aug 19

Thrilled to share my first first-author paper from my work with the Isle of Rum Red Deer Project! @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social

We found that host density acts to increase parasitism through two mechanisms: increased exposure and increased susceptibility.

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Population density drives increased parasitism via greater exposure and reduced resource availability in wild red deer | Parasitology | Cambridge Core

Population density drives increased parasitism via greater exposure and reduced resource availability in wild red deer

www.cambridge.org

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Sep 17

Peridot19 is also back. His father is Wisdom11 (now dead), the stag with the most offspring by far in our group of study animals.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Sep 17

Coypu19, left and his father Longbeys in 2018, the year he was conceived.

Longbeys, Coypu19's dad in the year he was conceived

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Sep 17

Coypu19 is back in the study area for the rut and he is looking very impressive for a 6 year old.

Stag Coypu19 with big antlers ready for the rut

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Aug 5

Due to storm damage and blocked tracks we will have to walk 5 miles to the study site to check on infrastructure there and see how the deer coped with Storm Floris!

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Jun 1

Calving Team 2025 1st instalment @celestineadelmant.bsky.social Eve Morris @seanofrum.bsky.social @sarah-dobson.bsky.social Prof Josephine Pemberton and Ali Morris @isleofrum.bsky.social

Photo of the calf catching team in 2025 at Kilmory, Isle of Rum

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Apr 22

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Apr 20

At this time of year, it is very difficult to spot deer. How many can you make out in this picture?

A picture of brown deer on a brown hillside in our study area.

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Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Mar 14

A beautiful, but chilly morning here in the study area, although Askival just has to create a cloud all of it's own.

Hallival and Askival creating their own clouds in an otherwise perfect blue sky

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Mar 6

After 48hrs of wet and stormy weather, we have ventured out in a mere gale to find the Glen flooded.

Rum Deer Research @rumdeerresearch.bsky.social · Feb 16

Uhura watching me go by. She is now part of a family whose names are influenced by Star Trek characters.

Uhura, an 8 year year old red deer hind grazing