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The roe deer - roe deer

Order: Artiodactyla - Family: Cervidae

Capreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Biogeographical distribution: Eurocentral Asian.

Distinctive features: head length - base of tail 100 - 130 cm; shoulder height 55 - 77 cm; tail 1 - 2 cm; average weight 24-26 kg.

Slender body with high hindquarters allowing it to make significant jumps and leaps, relatively short head, large ears and eyes, thin and long neck.

The coat of the roe deer, reddish or reddish-brown in summer, becomes dark brown in winter; the characteristic white patch on the rump, bright white and very conspicuous during the winter season, becomes more reddish and less noticeable in summer. The very short tail, with the same coloration as the coat, is not visible from a distance. The antlers, carried only by males, are small (30-35 cm) and normally have three points per beam.

Sexual dimorphism is reduced, so during the short period when males lack trophies, sex distinction is mainly based on evaluating the anal mirror, paying attention to the tuft of yellowish hair that females have under the false tail (vulva) and which helps give the anal mirror a heart shape. In males, the anal mirror instead has a shape more similar to two beans or two kidneys. The body structure has an agile and harmonious appearance, due to the greater height of the hindquarters compared to the forequarters, a typical characteristic of jumping animals. The metatarsal glands are dark in color, very conspicuous, and represent a specific distinguishing feature.

A Front paw print: length ~4.5 cm; width ~3 cm
P Hind paw print: smaller

Habitat: from plains to mountains as long as there are hedges, coppice woods, in any case rich in undergrowth interspersed with meadows and cultivated fields.

Habits: depending on the season, its activity phases change considerably. The best period for observing it in nature is the beginning of spring (March-April) when the plants are rich in buds and tips in full vegetative explosion, in which roe deer find the maximum food for their characteristics. Agile and graceful, it runs quickly with frequent jumps. It is not a very social animal during the whole period from March to August, when both male and female roe deer live isolated in their territories, those of the former being larger and containing within them the smaller territories of the latter. At the end of summer, once mating is over, calm returns and the roe deer, even adult males, become "social" and tolerant with their conspecifics and often gather in small winter family groups composed of several females with the sons or daughters of the previous year and other males.

Biology: As mentioned, during spring males establish a hierarchical relationship among themselves and by May they become more properly territorial; the dominated area is marked both visually and olfactorily. The most conspicuous markings are the "fregoni" During the territorial phase, the antlers (not horns) are vigorously rubbed on branches, shrubs, and small trees. The result is a superficial bark stripping that exposes the underlying tissue of the plant. During this action, an odorous secretion is also left, emitted by frontal glands located at the base of the stems (bony frontal support of the antlers). The marked plants are inevitably destined to dry out. With other interdigital glands, it does the same with the front legs, scraping the ground of grass and leaves over surfaces of about 50 cm in diameter. These are called "scrapes" and are often found associated with the fregoni. The marked area is defended against all other adult males. The territory of an adult male extends over about 10-40 ha (hectares) depending on population density, environmental characteristics, and other parameters. The antlers fall off in autumn, new trophies are fully formed and cleaned of "velvet" the following spring (see in-depth BOX). It feeds on shoots, buds, foliage, and herbaceous plants; in winter also on woody tips, in summer and spring it seeks forage grasses and especially legumes. The roe deer is a browser and a selector of concentrates. Mating occurs from July to August, gestation lasts about 10 months and is prolonged (a unique case among the Artiodactyla order), with implantation of the fertilized egg (blastocyst) in the uterus in December-January (the phenomenon is called embryonic diapause or ovostasis). The fawns are born in May—1 for first-time mothers and then generally 2 with a sex ratio of 1:1 (weight: 0.5 - 1.6 kg), are not very active and are carefully assisted; they become independent at about 9 - 12 months of age. Physiological maturity is reached by females at about 14 months; social maturity is reached by males at 2 - 3 years. In the wild, it lives up to a maximum of 12 - 14 years. Preyed upon by Lynx, Wolf, Fox, Wildcat, and Golden Eagle, which can attack sick individuals or the young.

photo by Giorgio BardelliTerritorial marking of a male roe deer: the "fregone"

photo by Giorgio Bardelli

Territorial marking of a male roe deer: the "fregone"

General distribution: The roe deer is a Euro-Asian species (including Great Britain), Caucasus, Turkey, Iraq, northern Iran, Turkestan, southern Siberia, northern and central China, Korea. Existing protection: the Roe Deer is a huntable species pursuant to art.18 of Law 11/02/1992, no. 157. Species protected by the Bern Convention (Law 5/8/1981, no. 503, in force for Italy since 1/6/1982). The existing protection measures consist of the establishment of national and regional parks, and nature reserves.

Roe deer are very susceptible to disturbance from stray dogs and hunting hounds, at least in the early stages of territory colonization. Stray dogs are one of the main causes of unnatural death.

ROE DEER SHEET.pdf