Roe deer European
lat.: Capreolus capreolus

ROE DEER, common name applied to the smallest Eurasian deer, Capreolus capreolus. An adult buck stands about 71 cm (about 28 in) at the shoulder and weighs about 27 kg (about 60 lb). The short, upright antlers are three-pronged. During the summer the coat is reddish brown above and white below, and in winter it is grayish brown with a noticeable white patch on the rump.

The bucks aggressively establish individual territories in the spring. Mating occurs in August. Roe rings are paths in the forest trampled by roe deer at play or in premating rituals. The distinctive mating call of the doe is simulated by hunters to attract bucks. The young are born in May, two fawns usually being produced in a litter.

Diet
Leaves, buds, herbs, fruits

Habitat
The roe deer is found mostly in forests, but it ventures out into open terrain in the summer.

Area
Europe and western regions of Asia

Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, Hungary, Rumania, Latvia, Lithunia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Slowenia, Switzerland, Austria, New Zealand, Poland