It’s not the size of the antlers, it’s the resonance of the mating call. Last year, a study conducted by the University of Sussex discovered that ovulating red deer hinds (females) are attracted by louder male roars because they announce the presence of a larger male.

Ben Charlton, one of the authors of the study, told ScienceDaily, “Male roaring in red deer is clearly linked to reproduction as it only occurs during the breeding season. Males provide no parental care, so female preferences are likely to be based solely on aspects of male genetic quality, such as body size.”

Fittest stags breed less fertile fawns
Bad news for the deer that choose those noisy stags: a separate study conducted in 2007 found that the strongest red deer males often produce less fertile females. The traits that make stags desirable — size, strength, dominance — don’t necessarily prove advantageous in females. Dr. Loeske Kruuk of University of Edinburgh told ScienceDaily:

“This effect of the best males not producing the best daughters is possibly an important reason why [diverse physical traits] remain. Maybe the idea that some genes are better than others is just too simplistic: it depends on the sex of the individual animal.”

To learn more about red deer, tune in to Nature’s “Prince of the Alps,” a glimpse into the world of a red deer calf as he struggles to survive in the Austrian wilderness, premiering Sunday, May 11 at 8pm on Thirteen.

Don’t forget to submit your Alps photos for a chance to win “Prince of the Alps” on DVD.

For more information about mating rituals in the wild — including jealous baboons and dancing spiders — visit What Females Want and What Males Will Do at Nature online.