roe deer

Small deer (the buck stands about 66 cm/26 in at the shoulder, and is 1.2 m/ 4 ft in length from the nose to the tiny tail). Roe deer are reddish-brown in summer (in winter the redness disappears), and the underparts are yellowish-grey. The horns average about 20 cm/8 in in length.

The mating season is in July to August and the young are born in the following May and June. They are at first reddish-brown with white spots.

Roe deer occur over central and southern Europe, and other races range as far east as China.

Classification The roe deer Capreolus capreolus is in family Cervidae, order Artiodactyla.