Roe Deer

The Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a European and Asiatic deer of Britain and Europe and is found as far east as China and Siberia but is absent from Ireland, Portugal and Greece. It has rather short, erect three-pronged antlers forked at the tips, and a reddish body with a grey face. Its hide is golden red in summer, darkening to brown or even black in winter, with lighter undersides and a white rump patch. Only the males have antlers, which are lost during winter, but which re-grow in time for the mating season. A small deer, it stands from 26 to 30 in. (66-76.2 cm) at the shoulder, can weigh between 35 to 65 lb (15-30 kg) and attends a maximum live span (in the wild) of 10 to 12 years. It is a nocturnal animal, very quick and graceful, living on high ground or mountains. It travels singly or in pairs and feeds on grass, leaves, berries and young shoots. When alarmed, it will bark a sound much like a dog and flash its white rump patch. The polygamous males clash over territory in early summer and mate in early fall. During courtship, when the males chase the females, they often flatten the underbrush leaving behind areas of the forest in the shape of a figure eight called roe rings. Females will give birth the following June, typically to two spotted kids of opposite sexes. In the Welsh myth Cad Goddeu, a rare white roebuck is stolen from Arawn of Annwn, symbolic of the soul's journey into death.

Related Topics:
Europe - Asia - Deer - Britain - China - Siberia - Ireland - Portugal - Greece - Antler - Nocturnal animal - Polygamous - Cad Goddeu - Arawn - Annwn - Soul - Death

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