The Mammal Society

For Evidence Based Conservation

Roe Deer – Capreolus capreolus

 

Habitat: Urban & gardens, coniferous woodland, deciduous woodland, mixed woodland, heathland, arable land
 
Description: Small deer, reddish brown in summer, grey in winter. Distinctive black moustache stripe, white chin. Appears tail-less with white/cream rump patch which is especially conspicuous when its hairs are puffed out when the deer is alarmed. Males have short antlers, erect with no more than three points.
 
Size: Average height at shoulder 60-75cm. Males slightly larger.
 
Weight: Adults 10-25kg
 
Lifespan: The maximum age in the wild is 16 years, but most live 7.
 
Origin & Distribution: Roe deer are widespread throughout Scotland and much of England, and in many areas they are abundant. They are increasing their range, spreading southward from their Scottish refuge, and northward and westward from the reintroduced populations, but are not yet but are not yet established in most of the Midlands and Kent. They have never occurred in Ireland.  They are generally found in open mixed, coniferous or purely deciduous woodland, particularly at edges between woodland and open habitats. Roe deer feed throughout the 24 hours, but are most active at dusk and dawn.
 

Roe deer distribution (in green), taken from ‘Britain’s Mammals 2018: The Mammal Society’s Guide to their Population and Conservation Status.’

 
Diet: Their diet is varied and includes buds and leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs, bramble, rose, ivy, herbs, conifers, ferns, heather and grasses.
 
General Ecology: Roe deer exist solitary or in small groups, with larger groups typically feeding together during the winter. At exceptionally high densities, herds of 15 or more roe deer can be seen in open fields during the spring and summer. Males are seasonally territorial, from March to August. Young females usually establish ranges close to their mothers; juvenile males are forced to disperse further afield.
 
Breeding: The breeding season, known as the rut, is from mid-July to the end of August. During this time males become very aggressive in defending their territories. They fight other males by locking antlers and pushing and twisting. Fighting may cause injuries and occasionally one or both may die. Although the egg is fertilised at the time of mating it does not begin to develop inside the female’s uterus until several months later, in early January. The roe deer is the only hoofed animal in which delayed implantation occurs. Females give birth, usually to twins, but sometimes to single kids or triplets, between mid-May and mid-June. The young suckle within a few hours of birth. They are regularly left alone, lying still amongst vegetation. Their coat, dappled for about the first six weeks, helps to camouflage them. If there are twins they are left separately.
 
Conservation Status: Roe deer have been hunted from prehistoric times. They became extinct in England, Wales and southern Scotland during the 18th century and populations were re-introduced to southern England (Dorset) and East Anglia in the 19th century. As they have become more abundant, they have been treated as “vermin” because of damage to forestry, agriculture and horticulture, and consequently numbers are controlled. Roe deer may now number as many as 500,000, and are increasing. Since the 1970s there has been an increased interest in exploitation of roe as a game species and for meat. As a result they are now covered by various Acts of Parliament which impose close seasons (when deer may not be hunted), firearms restrictions and controls on poaching.
 

Identification

Relatively small deer with comparatively short body to long legs and neck. Normally only one or two are seen together. Distinctive black nose and white chin. Red/brown fur in summer, grey/brown in winter. Very small tail, either not visible or appears as small tuft. Cream/white rump, inverted heart shape in females and oval shape in males. Small branched antlers in mature males, usually not more than 3 points.

Field Signs
Download a printable field sign guide here!

Footprints: Roe deer footprints are very similar to those of fallow deer. Width 3cm, length 4.5cm. However, be very careful not confuse these with sheep or goat footprints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Droppings: Deer droppings do not have obvious coloration or smell. The droppings tend to be of a similar shape across all species. As seen in this photo, they can easily be confused with sheep droppings.

Tail: The best way to determine which deer species you have seen is by looking at the rump and tail. The roe deer has a cream white rump (an upside down heart for females and an oval shape for males) and has no visible tail.

Audio: Roe deer call

 

Confusion species

Fallow deer (Dama dama)
Heart-shaped white rump with a black horseshoe-shaped border and a black line down the tail, creating the appearance of the number 111. Roe has a plain cream/white rump (oval shape in males and upside down heart shape in females) which can be flared when alarmed, with no visible tail. Fallow coat can vary greatly but is typically brown with white spots in summer and paler brown with white spots in winter. Roe has red/brown coat in summer and grey/brown in winter, with no spots.Roe has a distinctive black nose and white chin, which fallow does not have. Antlers of fallow are large and palmate (broad and flattened) unlike small antlers of roe deer, with usually no more than 3 points. Fallow is much larger than roe.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus)
Red deer much larger than the roe. Buff coloured rump (not flared when alarmed as in roe deer) with a ginger buff tail. Grey/brown coat in winter to red/brown in summer. Roe has similar coat colour but red deer’s coat appears more red. Very large branched antlers in mature males, whilst roe have much smaller antlers with usually no more than 3 points. Roe also has distinctive black nose and white chin.

Sika deer (Cervus nippon)
Heart-shaped white rump with black upper border. White tail, with thin black vertical streak. Roe has plain cream/white rump (oval shape in males and upside down heart shape in females) with no visible tail. Sika has a brown coat with distinctive spots in summer only (which roe do not have) with coat turning greyer in winter. Roe has red/brown coat in summer and grey/brown in winter.Roe has a distinctive black nose and white chin which sika does not have. Male sika have larger, more outstretched antlers with typically more than 4 points per antler, whilst roe have much smaller antlers with usually no more than 3 points. See image.

Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis)
Rump same colour as rest of coat and has a stumpy tail, whilst roe has cream/white rump (oval shaped in males and upside down heart shape in females), with no visible tail.
Chinese water deer has tusks (protruding upper canine teeth) whereas roe does not. Chinese water deer has no antlers. Roe has small pointed antlers, with no more than 3 points. It is often said that chinese water deer face looks like a teddy bear. Roe has distinctive black nose and white chin.

 Roe deer call.mp3

 

 

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