[30] Not including dental abnormalities, which are described in table
5.
The following organs were excised from wolf-killed deer and examined
grossly in the field for parasites and abnormalities (fig. 12): lungs
(six animals, normal); heart (seven animals, normal); liver (four
animals, one small unidentified tapeworm cyst). Twin fetuses were found
in each of two adult does examined.
Twelve deer were checked for body fat in one or all of the following
areas: back (subcutaneous), kidneys, heart, omenta. Of these animals,
seven had large amounts of fat, but five were almost depleted of fat
from these stores. These five were all killed in February or March
1969; three were fawns, and two were yearlings that had not yet shed
their deciduous premolars.
Of 69 animals examined for femur marrow condition, two had fat-depleted
marrow. One was a fawn killed in March 1969 that had not shed its
deciduous first incisors, and the other was a 5-1/2-year-old buck
killed in February 1966.
A fawn and a yearling that had died in February 1969 from unknown
causes also had fat-depleted, marrow. These animals might have been
killed by wolves, for wolves had fed on them. However, they could have
died from malnutrition and been eaten as carrion.
_Table 7.--Pathological conditions in the lower limbs of deer
killed by wolves or hunters_
--------:---:-----:------:--------------------------------------------
: : :Cause :
Specimen:Sex: Age : of : Condition
number : : :death :
--------:---:-----:------:--------------------------------------------
_Years_
M-28 M 5-1/2 Wolves Right hind foot: "Old healed ankylosis of
the pastern joint ... a spontaneously healed
bacterial arthritis with the destroyed joint
cavity filled in by solid bone. This deer
probably had defective gait"[31] (fig. 14).
M-29 F 5-1/2 Wolves Front foot: "A 3x4x5 cm. fibrous mass in the
subcutis about the digital flexor tendon on
the volar surface of the metacarpus. The
surface was denuded, ulcerated, and
superficially infected by surface bacteria....
Probably did detract from the animal's speed
of flight"[31] (fig. 15).
M-37 F 7-1/2 Wolves Hind foot: "Probable that the lesion was at
one time an active bacterial bone marrow
infection that had eventually fistulated to
the skin.... Regional tendons and their
sheaths were also present among this
inflammation and scarring, and it would be
fair to assume that the animal's agility was
impaired to some extent."[31]
M-115 M 4-1/2 Hunter Right front hoof: Broken at tip.
M-196 F 4-1/2 Wolves Left front foot: "Two severe transverse
lacerations on the volar surface. Each was
approximately 4 cm. in length. One was
located at the margin of the heel, and the
other was located several cm. proximad. The
more proximal wound had severed the flexon
tendons, and the consequent uselessness of
the limb was suggested by the splayed toes,
the unmarred hoof wall and unworn soles"[32]
(fig. 16).
M-227 M 9-1/2 Wolves Left hind leg: "A diffuse swelling of the
distal metatarsal bone, the surface of which
was studded with small osteophytic spicules.
The major flexor and extensor tendons were
forced to assume a convex course over the
summits of the dorsal and plantar surfaces
of the defect, but the tendon sheaths were
clean and the normal wear on soles of the
involved toes suggested that functional
deficit and pain were probably minimal ...
quite certainly a callus from previous
fracture"[32] (fig. 17).
--------:---:-----:------:--------------------------------------------
1
FOOTNOTES:
[31] D. M. Barnes. Personal correspondence to L. D. Mech, April 11,
1967.
[32] D. M. Barnes. Undated laboratory report transmitted to L. D. Mech
in 1969.