Roe Deer

Written by

in

Mammal 🦌
🦌
Capreolus capreolus
Size95–135 cm body length About the size of a large dog
Weight15–30 kg About the weight of a medium suitcase packed for a holiday
Lifespan10 years
RarityCommon
M vs FMales (bucks) grow small, rough antlers; females (does) have none. Both have a pale rump patch
HabitatWoodland edges, farmland, parks, heathland, gardens
Best timeDawn and dusk year-round; July–August rut
ConservationUK: Green LC
Did you know?
After mating in summer, the Roe Deer embryo doesn't implant until winter — a phenomenon called 'delayed implantation' found in no other UK deer
More for experts
The fairy circles of flattened grass you sometimes find in fields are made by bucks chasing does in tight circles during the summer rut
Often confused with
Muntjac (darker, hunched, tiny antlers, year-round rut), Fallow Deer (larger, spotted, palmate antlers)