The European roe deer is a small and graceful cervid, with reddish-gray fur in the warm season and grayish-brown in winter, having a compact body, thin legs, and oval ears, while males carry short antlers with two to three points. Shoulder height varies between 60 and 75 cm, body length between 95 and 135 cm, and weight fluctuates between 15 and 35 kg, adaptations that give it agility in varied habitats, from dense forests to agricultural lands and pastures.
Habits
Roe deer are crepuscular and diurnal animals, living solitary or in small groups, marking territories by rubbing their antlers and muzzle against vegetation; especially during winter, they form temporary aggregations to feed in open areas, returning to new hiding spots when predators appear.
Reproduction
Males defend their territories during summer, mating follows in September-October with the formation of characteristic “rutting circles,” and after delayed implantation of the zygote, females usually give birth in the following June to two spotted fawns, which remain hidden in grass during their first months of life.
Distribution
Native to all of Europe (except for very northern and insular areas like Ireland), the roe deer has expanded westward and eastward into temperate regions of Western Asia; it inhabits mixed forests, clearings, roadsides, and agricultural lands, requiring dense shelter and varied food sources.
