what are the odds of this?

[SunDevil]

Last friday evening I saw a mule deer doe with triplets and was wondering what the odds of this were?

 

I figured it is something I probably will never see again in my lifetime.

 

I went and checked the book (Deer of the SW) but could not find any stats on the frequency of multiple births (twins or triplets).

 

Has anyone else ever seen triplet fawns before?

 

Does anyone know what the odds of triplet fawns being born are? I am guessing < 1% but would like to know for sure.

 

Thanks. Chris.

[firstcoueswas80]

Hmmm... Dont believe I have ever seen triplets (that I recall) but I have seen twins semi-often.

[azcouesandelk]

I believe it was GRONG who posted it a year or 2 back of a coues doe with triplets. That is definately a rare site.

[Eagle Eye]

hmmm, i've seen quite a few in kiabab.

[Benbrown]

In whitetails, triplets occur once in about every 200 births. I have never seen any statistics for mule deer. By now I would think that there would be something in the literature, but I don't follow it closely anymore. Maybe Hefflefinger or one of the other active deer biologists will chime in here...

[Rembrant]

Why not? They have four tits.

Mike

[CouesWhitetail]

Great sighting!

 

I have seen triplet Whitetails but not muleys. Twins is the norm for muleys, but certainly they have triplets occassionally like WT do.

 

Amanda

 

[CouesWhitetail]

In whitetails, triplets occur once in about every 200 births. I have never seen any statistics for mule deer. By now I would think that there would be something in the literature, but I don't follow it closely anymore. Maybe Hefflefinger or one of the other active deer biologists will chime in here...

 

 

Thanks for the info on WT births Ben. That's something I hadn't read before.

 

I emailed Heffelfinger about this so maybe he will come share some data on it.

 

Amanda

 

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Hey Mike...just curious where that lands us in the human race with sextuplets(sp)?

[SilentButDeadly]

If we are going straight out statistical probability, I'm going to vote for momma picked up a straggler after he lost his to a lion....

[Huntn coues]

Hey Mike...just curious where that lands us in the human race with sextuplets(sp)?

 

 

[Non-Typical Solutions]

I'll throw my vote in with silent but deadly......

[Coues Sniper]

I was in Utah a few years ago and saw 2 sets of triplets and a set of twins all on the same ridge! This was in July so they still had spots which was cool. Only seen triplets in Coues once.

[Mangum]

I've seen quite a few twins in mule deer, elk, and couse, but never triplets.

 

That's awesome.

 

This is definetly a favorable year for something like that to happen though.

[deernut]

This was sent to me by a biologist in southern NM. I can't believe Deer of the Southwest doesn't have that! Twins are the norm and triplets are rare even in areas of the country with lots and lots of nutrition. For example in the agricultural areas of southern WI, whitetails still very rarely have triplets. Adoption is possible, but it would have to be a doe fawning at the same time in the same area and this would seem unlikely - my guess is it would be less likely than 3 embryos coming to full term. I'll check my literature for more on twinning rates and triplets and get back to you.

 

JIM