Mammals · Artiodactyla · Cervidae

Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It uses delayed implantation in a way unique among deer: the egg fertilised in July or August does not implant until December or January, ensuring the fawns are born in the warm months.

Weight

15 kg – 60 kg

Size

95 cm – 1.5 m

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestHerbivore Variable activity Solitary Temperate forest Mammal

52countries 60parks23same family

Fun facts

It uses delayed implantation: the egg fertilised in summer does not implant until December or January.
This ensures the fawns are born in the warm months of May and June.
The Ural populations are noticeably larger-bodied than those elsewhere in Europe.
reproducciónIt is one of the few European deer with delayed implantation, the embryo remaining in a state of arrested development for several months before gestation resumes.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Mixed woodland, farmland and scrub across much of Europe and western Asia
Birth weight: 1-1.7 kg at birth, with the characteristic white spots that fade at 2 months
Size at birth: 1-1.7 kg at birth
Sexual maturity: 1-2 years
Gestation / incubation: 264-318 days (the only ungulate with delayed implantation, with an actual development period of just 4.5-5 months)
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 3 young per birth (most commonly 2)

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); BioOne (displacement pregnancy study); Springer (European Roe Deer chapter); Bilderreich; Animal Kingdom; A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; Lost Story; Carl Mckie Nature Photography