Roe Deer Female (Capreolus capreolus)
Roe deer are one of only two species that can be considered indigenous to the British Isles, the other being the Red deer. Remains identified as Roe have been found dating back to the Interglacial period (400,000 BC) along with other species now extinct in Britain. There is only one species of Roe deer, believed to be divided into three subspecies. Considerable debate exists amongst the experts regarding the exact differences between the subspecies; this has been compounded by the fact that the majority of the world’s Roe population lives within the former Eastern Bloc. As travel restrictions ease, further detailed research should clarify the issue. The three subspecies are European, Siberian and Chinese. This paper is primarily concerned with the European Roe, Capreolus capreolus. There are significant differences between the subspecies. The Siberian Roe are approximately twice the size of European Roe. The latter stand between 60-75 cm at the shoulder with bucks weighing between 24 and 30 kg, whilst the does are 2-6 kg lighter. Chinese Roe fall somewhere in between these physical ends of the spectrum. Even amongst the same subspecies there can be a marked difference in body size, attributable to availability of food and climatic conditions, the two principal factors which determine the carrying capacity of a particular habitat. Antler development varies between the subspecies. Coronets of European Roe bucks sometimes coalesce. In Siberian and Chinese Roe the coronets are usually well separated. However, in the Siberian subspecies the back tines tend to develop a fork and the overall antler length is greater than that of the Chinese, with the shortest antlers belonging to European Roe. All subspecies grow the characteristic six-point head, with minor variations depending on the health of the deer. European Roe can be considered to have been continuously resident on the British mainland since the Postglacial period, crossing from Europe by means of the land bridge.
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Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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