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Facts About the Roe Deer

The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a woodland species native to Britain. In the 1700s, the roe deer became largely extinct; the north of Scotland was the only place where it survived. Even though the roe deer population has since increased and spread across the United Kingdom, some people still associate it with Scotland, not least because of "My Heart's In The Highlands," a poem by Robert Burns in which the poet linked the image of a roe deer with the identity of the Highlands.

Physical Description
- The roe deer has an average height at shoulder of 60 to 75 cm, or 23 to 30 inches. The deer is brown in summer, turning gray in winter. Adult roes weigh about 10 to 25 kg, or 22 to 55 lb., with male deer slightly larger than females. Roes have a lifespan of about six or seven years, though some deer live to be 16.
Breeding
- Rut, or the breeding season, of roe deer, runs from the middle of July to the end of August. Males become aggressive and fight other males by locking antlers and then pushing and twisting. After fertilization, a roe deer egg remains in the female's uterus until early January and only then starts to develop into an embryo. Typically, a roe deer gives birth to one to three calves, who start feeding on vegetation when they are 3 to 4 weeks old, but will still take milk from their mother until they are 3 to 4 months old. Roes reach sexual maturity at the age of 14 months.
Diet and Ecology
- Roe deer reside in open areas of mixed deciduous and coniferous woods. They usually live in solitude or in small groups but sometimes gather into herds of up to 15 deer. Roes consume a wide range of food, including herbs, ferns, heather, grasses, buds, shrubs and the leaves of deciduous trees. Roe deer are most active at dusk and dawn. In addition to Britain, roe deer live in the Mediterranean and in Russia. The Siberian roe deer (Capriolus pygargus), a related species, resides, as its name implies, in Siberia, the Ural Mountains, China and Korea.
The Most Famous Roe
- However popular Robert Burns's poem is, it was pop culture that produced the most famous roe deer, Bambi, the main character of "Bambi: Eine Lebensgeschichte aus dem Walde" -- "Bambi, A Life in the Woods" -- a 1923 children's book by Austrian author Felix Salten. In 1942, Walt Disney adapted the novel into an animated film, which gave the roe deer worldwide audience exposure.

Nature