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European roe deer, roe, wild goat or simply roe(lat. Capreólus capreólus) is an artiodactyl animal of the deer family.

The horns of roe deer begin to develop from the 4th month of life. By their first spring, young males grow horns in the form of simple pointed rods 10-15 cm long. The horns fully develop only by 3 years.

Antlers are shed annually in October-December, first by old males, then by young ones. New antlers begin to grow after about month delay. The horns of old males reach full size by March-April; in April-May, the horns completely ossify and the males rub them against the trunks and branches of trees, removing any remaining skin.

Females are hornless. Occasionally there are females with horns, and the horns usually have an ugly shape.

The coloration of adult individuals is monochromatic and lacks sexual dimorphism. In winter, the color of the body is gray or grayish-brown, sometimes grayish-red, turning into brownish-brown in the back of the back and on the rump. Downwards, the color of the body gradually brightens to a yellowish-cream color. The caudal “mirror” (caudal disc) is small, white or light reddish. The limbs gradually turn red downwards. The head and ears are the same color as the body, or somewhat brownish and reddish. On the chin - White spot, the circumference of the nose and the upper lip are black or gray-brown (“mustache”).

In summer, the color of the body and neck is uniformly red; belly whitish-red; the head is gray with a reddish tint, with dark “mustaches”; the mirror is poorly defined or absent. In general, summer coloration is more even than winter coloration.

Newborn roe deer have a spotted coloration, which allows them to camouflage among summer vegetation. The general color tone is reddish-yellow with a lighter, light ocher belly. There are grayish or yellowish spots along the back in three longitudinal rows on each side. The middle row, the brightest, stretches from the ears to the anus; the rest come from the shoulders. Additional rows of spots appear on the shoulders and pelvic area. At the age of 2-3 months, the overall color darkens, becoming brownish-red; As the red fur grows, the spotting fades and disappears.

Historically, the area of ​​settlement of the European roe deer developed at the end of the Pliocene - beginning of the Pleistocene, when forms close to modern ones lived in Central and Western Europe and Western Asia. In the Pleistocene, the range of the roe deer modern type expanded further, covering Crimea, the Azov region, the Lower Don and the North Caucasus. In the Holocene, as glaciers retreated and the forest zone expanded, the species continued its expansion, penetrating Scandinavia and spreading across the Russian Plain.

Until the second half of the 20th century. The range of the European roe deer practically did not change, covering almost the entire territory of Europe (including Great Britain) and reaching in the north up to 61° (Sweden) - 65° N. w. (Norway). In the east, the border of the historical area ran along the Volga region. The southern border of the range ran through the northernmost regions of Iran (north of Elburz) and Iraq, through Syria and Israel reaching the Mediterranean Sea and covering Asia Minor. Roe deer have never been found on the islands of Iceland, Ireland, Corsica, Sardinia and some others, which separated early from the mainland.

Until the 19th century. n. e. the species range was almost continuous. But since the 18th century. due to deforestation and predatory hunting, the number of roe deer in Western Europe began to shrink, and the range began to disintegrate into separate, almost isolated areas. In the 19th and early 20th centuries. the same trend began to appear in Eastern Europe and Russia, leading to the complete disappearance of roe deer in many areas.

The modern range of the European roe deer covers Europe (including Great Britain and the Scandinavian Peninsula), the European part of Russia, Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia, where the eastern border of the range runs along the line Tbilisi - Ganja - Stepanakert - Lankaran, and Western Asia, where it includes Turkey, mountains in the northwest Syria, northeastern Iraq and western Iran (Zagros Mountains and areas adjacent to the Caspian Sea). In Lebanon and Israel, the roe deer has become extinct; also disappeared on the island of Sicily. An attempt was made to introduce European roe deer (from Scotland) into the Irish county of Sligo; the population existed for 50-70 years.

Currently, the European roe deer is found in the territory the following states(V alphabetical order): Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Georgia, Denmark (including Greenland), Iraq (north), Iran (north), Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Romania, San Marino, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria (northwest), Turkey , Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia.

The European roe deer is distinguished by wide geographical variability in color and body size, which gives rise to the identification of many geographical races and subspecific forms within its range.

Currently, two subspecies are clearly distinguished, due to isolation, they have separated from the main European population, designated as Capreolus capreolus capreolus L.:

Large roe deer of the North Caucasus are sometimes classified as a subspecies Capreolus capreolus caucasicus, and the population of the Middle East - to Capreolus capreolus coxi.

Area Siberian roe deer passes to the east, covering the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia up to Transbaikalia and Yakutia inclusive, Central Asia, Western China, Northern and Northwestern Mongolia.

The European roe deer inhabits mixed and deciduous forests of various types and forest-steppe. In purely coniferous forests it is found only in the presence of deciduous undergrowth. In the zone of true steppes, semi-deserts and deserts are absent. As the best feeding areas, it prefers areas of light sparse forest, with rich shrubby undergrowth and surrounded by meadows and fields, or (in summer) tall grass meadows overgrown with bushes. It is found in reed fields, in floodplain forests, in overgrown clearings and burnt areas, in overgrown ravines and ravines. Avoids continuous forests and stays along the edges and outskirts. It penetrates through forest belts into steppe areas. In terms of altitude, the most favorable zone for roe deer is from 300 to 600 m above sea level; however, in mountainous areas it rises to subalpine and even alpine meadows(up to 2400 m above sea level in the Alps; up to 3500 m above sea level in the Caucasus).

The biotopic distribution of roe deer is primarily influenced by the availability of food and the availability of shelters, especially in open landscapes. Where there is no shelter in the form of bushes, tall grass or ravines, roe deer do not live even with an abundance of food. Other factors influencing biotopic distribution include snow depth, presence of predators, and disturbance caused by human activity, grazing, or the presence of other wild ungulates.

In general, the European roe deer is an animal of the forest-steppe type, more adapted to life in tall grass and shrub biotopes than in dense forest stands or open steppes.

Compared to Siberian ones, European roe deer are practically sedentary and do not undertake mass seasonal migrations. Only in the north and east of the range, where snowy winters are common, as well as in the mountains, roe deer migrations can take the form of regular migrations, passing along the same route from year to year. In particular, in the Caucasus Mountains, in October and November, roe deer descend down the slopes and move from the northern slopes to the southern and eastern ones. In northwestern Europe, field roe deer move en masse into forest lands in the fall. Extended migrations towards sea coasts and river valleys recorded in northern Finland. Temporary migrations, as a rule, are associated with the height of the snow cover (more than 20-30 cm), which impedes movement and obtaining food, and other unfavorable factors.

Despite their sedentary nature, European roe deer are capable of spreading at a fairly high speed. This is evidenced by the rate of advance of the range boundary in the 20th century. Thus, in Eastern Europe, over 30 years, the European roe deer spread naturally over almost 500 km, that is, the annual speed of movement of the range boundaries exceeded 10-15 km per year.

The diet of the roe deer includes about 900 plant species; preference is given to easily digestible plant foods rich in nutrients and water. Young parts of plants (low in fiber) are most preferred. The presence of tannins and minerals and vitamins in the plant also plays some importance. Dry and highly woody parts of plants, hard grasses and sedges, plants containing toxic substances (saponin, alkaloids, phenols and glucosides) are usually not eaten or eaten reluctantly. The composition of the diet varies depending on habitat, season, availability and abundance of food and the physiological state of the animal, covering on average 130-250 plant species in each major region.

To compensate for the lack of minerals, roe deer visit salt licks, or drink water from springs rich in mineral salts. During pregnancy and lactation in females and horn growth in males, the need for minerals increases by 1.5-2 times.

Water is obtained mainly from plant foods, but if there are bodies of water nearby, they regularly visit them; In winter they sometimes eat snow. Daily requirement in water is small, amounting to about 1.5 liters per day.

In winter, the diet is the least varied. The food is mainly consumed by shoots and buds of trees, shrubs and shrubs, as well as dry grass and dead leaves. In harvest years, roe deer eat large quantities of acorns, beech nuts and chestnuts, digging them out from under the snow. They go out into the fields to feed on hay and unharvested crop residues - corn, alfalfa, sugar beets, potatoes. When there is no food, moss and lichens are dug out from under the snow. When there is deep snow, they are sometimes forced to switch to feeding on the needles of pine, spruce and juniper trees. In critical situations, they can gnaw on tree bark, although this is usually avoided.

In spring, they begin to look for thawed areas where fresh grass appears, while at the same time continuing to feed on buds, shoots and dry leaves. In the fields they feed on leaves of winter grain crops, alfalfa, clover and germinating weeds.

In summer, food is most varied. Great importance The diet of forest roe deer includes dicotyledonous herbaceous plants and, to a lesser extent, leaves of tree species. Field roe deer eat corn, alfalfa, clover, wheat in the fields, sugar beets.

In autumn, roe deer eat large quantities of seeds and fruits, which allows them to accumulate energy reserves for the winter. The proportion of annual plants in the food of forest roe deer increases; field roe deer eat post-harvest crop residues, weed seeds and grains of wild cereals. They also eat mushrooms; graze on the berry fields. In Crimea and the Caucasus they eat dogwood.

Social organization populations depend on the time of year. In the summer, most roe deer lead a solitary or family (female with offspring) lifestyle, in winter - a family-group or herd life (during migrations and migrations). The spatial structure of the population also changes significantly throughout the year - in summer the animals are scattered across their territories, in winter the territorial structure is disrupted and roe deer concentrate on feeding areas. In addition, during the summer, the territorial behavior of roe deer varies depending on gender and age.

Summer period. Covers the time from March to the end of August. At this time, roe deer are most territorial and aggressive. In March-April, adult (over 2-3 years old) males occupy their territories, and females, in the last month of pregnancy, move to the birth areas. It should be noted that the territorial structure of roe deer is very rigid - once having occupied some territory, the roe deer usually returns to it from year to year.

The male's territory, depending on the living conditions in a particular biotope, varies from 2 to 200 hectares. Normally, the territories of neighboring males practically do not overlap and only at high population densities do they partially overlap each other in the area of ​​feeding areas. The boundaries of territories are regularly walked and marked by secretions of the frontal and interhoof glands. As a rule, males avoid entering other people’s areas, only at the very end of the rut making “forays” in search of females in heat, but at the beginning of the season they have to defend the right to own the territory. Aggressors are often young males, including those who come from neighboring lands. Conflicts between familiar male neighbors are relatively rare and are usually limited to a simple show of strength.

Only females and young animals of the current year of birth can live in the area of ​​an adult male. The owner aggressively drives grown-up one-year-old males out of his territory, and in 58-90% of cases they have to migrate in search of unoccupied land. Occasionally, young males wander throughout the summer in foreign territories or become companions of adult males, accompanying them until the rutting period. As for one-year-old females, they rarely migrate to other areas, but, as a rule, occupy areas adjacent to the maternal ones.

The male's territory includes at least 1-2 birth areas, where pregnant females come during the calving period. The female aggressively guards the area, driving away other roe deer from it, including her own grown offspring. The female usually remains on the site until the end of the breeding season, during the rut, mating with the male (or males) within whose territory her site is located. The area of ​​birth grounds ranges from 1-7 hectares during the calving period to 70-180 hectares at the end summer season when the roe deer grow up.

The main function of territoriality is the dispersal of individuals in space and the weakening of food competition for pregnant and lactating females, which increases the chances of survival of the offspring.

Winter period. By October, the aggressiveness of adult roe deer noticeably weakens. Males shed their antlers and stop marking their territory. Winter family groups begin to form - females with kids are joined by young animals (including one-year-old males who previously migrated to other areas). Later, other roe deer, including adult males, may join the group, although the latter usually live separately even in winter. The leaders of the groups are adult female mothers. Members of the group often stick together throughout the winter. In field biotopes, the number of animals in a group can reach 40-90 individuals; in forest biotopes, groups only rarely include more than 10-15 animals.

Unlike Siberian roe deer, European roe deer do not make winter migrations, although many females return in the fall to the areas from which they came to their birth grounds in the spring. But, as a rule, roe deer winter in the same area where they flew. Habitat winter group can cover 300-500 hectares as animals move in search of food. Within the site there are feeding zones where roe deer spend most of the day. The worse the environmental situation, the larger the groups become and the wider the roe deer have to roam in search of food. However, if the level of snow cover exceeds a certain limit (50 cm), roe deer can stay in almost one place for weeks.

Winter groups last until March-April, gradually disintegrating. Old males begin to break away from groups from the end of February, although sometimes in January-March you can find groups consisting exclusively of males. The families that last the longest, almost until May, are females with one-year-old young.

The sense of smell plays an important role in marking behavior. From March to September, adult males rub their foreheads, cheeks and necks against trees and bushes, marking them with secretions of the skin glands, or dig the ground with their hooves, leaving on it the smell of the secretions of the interdigital glands. Areas of trunks and branches stripped by antlers and “scratches” on the ground also serve as visual marks. In this way, males mark their territory, warning other males that the area is occupied. The intensity of marking depends on the season. In spring, males can apply up to 500-600 scent marks per day, in summer - 40-150, in early autumn - only 10 marks. In females there is no marking behavior.

Roe deer play an important role in the social life of sound signals. There are 5 main types of signals:

Roe deer cubs only make squeaks. The European roe deer has no analogues of the whining produced by male Siberian roe deer.

Visual signals play a major role in roe deer communication, especially in groups. So, for example, if one of the roe deer takes an alarm pose, the other roe deer immediately stop grazing, huddle together and also take an alarm pose. A motionless posture can be replaced by walking in a posture of anxiety - slow movement with a vertically extended neck and legs raised high. The immediate signal for the flight of the entire group is usually the flight of one individual with a loose “mirror”.

IN calm state roe deer move at a walk or trot; when in danger, they run in leaps up to 4-7 m long, with periodic jumps up to 1.5-2 m. The running speed of an adult roe deer is about 60 km/h - more than the speed of a lynx or a wolf, but the run is short: in the open, disturbed roe deer are usually they run 300-400 m, in a dense forest - 75-100 m, after which they begin to make circles, confusing their pursuers. A feeding roe deer moves in small steps, often stopping and listening. When crossing a low-food area, it switches to a trot. In the same way, male roe deer run around their territory every day. Roe deer swim well, but not quickly. Because of his small size do not tolerate high snow cover (more than 40-50 cm); In winter they try to walk along animal trails or roads. In deep snow, the daily feeding distance of roe deer is reduced from 1.5-2 to 0.5-1 km. The ice crust on the surface of the snow on which they slide is especially dangerous for roe deer.

In general, reproduction in roe deer is physiologically possible from May to December, but at the beginning and end of this period it is difficult due to pregnancy and lactation of females and due to the cessation of the process of spermatogenesis in males, respectively.

In the first months of life, roe deer are virtually helpless and spend a lot of time hiding in shelters 200-300 m from each other; the mother feeds and rests separately from them, although not nearby. Spotted camouflage coloring and underdeveloped skin glands that do not leave a strong odor, along with dispersal and hiding, allow roe deer to hide from predators. The hiding period lasts 2.5-3 months. By the beginning of a new estrus, the roe deer calves are already completely independent and wander separately from their mothers throughout the rutting period, reuniting with them at the end of the rutting season and until the time of the next calving. By September, when the females have a white “mirror” after molting, the behavior of family members is synchronized - they graze together, lie down and flee. Social connections of females with their grown-up offspring are disrupted only 2-4 weeks before the birth of a new generation.

testosterone and the first stages of spermatogenesis are first recorded in them at the age of 6-7 months. However, young males are inferior to adults in physical development and begin reproduction only at 3-4 years of age.

Roe deer- These are small artiodactyls from the deer family. Roe deer, like other representatives of this family, are beautiful, slender and active animals. They have thin legs with hooves, small ears and a small tail. Males have small horns. The body length of roe deer usually does not exceed one and a half meters, and the weight is 60 kg. The color is uniform, brownish-red in summer, and grayish in winter; there is a clearly visible white spot at the back near the tail.

Roe deer are also called roe deer and wild goats, as they are very similar to goats. Currently, there are two types of roe deer: European and Siberian. The European roe deer is slightly smaller than the Siberian one.

Spreading

Roe deer live on the European continent. They usually live in mixed or deciduous forests, on plains covered with bushes, as well as in the mountains.

Nutrition

Roe deer are vegetarians. They feed on various plant foods - grass, leaves and young shoots of bushes and trees, with the exception of coniferous species. They also like to eat mushrooms, berries, nuts and acorns. In winter they can get food from under the snow.

Lifestyle

IN warm time During the year, roe deer stay in small groups consisting of two or three individuals. They graze in the morning and evening, and when it gets hot, they rest in shady places. Sometimes roe deer can migrate; for this they unite in large herds of up to 500 individuals. Having reached their destination, the herds again break up into small groups. In winter, roe deer can unite in groups of 20-30 individuals.

From mid-summer, males organize competitions to gain the attention of females. Adult males engage in fierce fights and often inflict rather serious injuries on each other. Sometimes such duels end with the death of one of the participants in the duel.

Typically, once a year, a female gives birth to one or two cubs with a spotted coloration and weighing about one kilogram. Pregnancy lasts from 6 to 10 months. For the first seven days, babies remain where they were born, hidden in dense tall grass. Their spotted coloring will allow them to remain undetected. A week after birth, the cubs are able to follow their mother. Roe deer feed their babies with milk until about three months, but already from the age of one month they begin to pluck young greens. Roe deer become adults at the age of two.

The lifespan of males can reach 16 years, and females - 12 years.

• The voice of roe deer resembles the barking of a dog.
• Roe deer are good swimmers and can easily cross a river, such as the Amur or Yenisei.

Brief information about the roe deer.

Capreolus capreolus

European Roe Deer (English), Europäischer Rehwild (German), Chevreuil d’Europe (French), Corzo Europeo (Spanish).

Other names: roe deer, wild goat. It is also called the western roe deer or the common roe deer. In Poland this animal is called "sarna".

DESCRIPTION. This is the smallest and most elegant native deer in Europe. Height at withers 65-90 cm, body length up to 135 cm. Weight 20-35 kg. The ears are long (12-14 cm), pointed; the tail is rudimentary (2-3 cm), hidden in the hair. The largest animals are found in the eastern part of the range. Females are about 20% smaller than males. The color is uniform - red in summer, with a gray muzzle, white chin and a black stripe on the muzzle. The spot on the rump is unclear. Winter hairline grayish-brown, with two white spots on the throat and a clearly visible white spot (“mirror”) of hair on the rump, which can stand on end when excited, forming a large white disc. The tail is small, white, invisible against the background of the croup. Newborn fawns have a spotted coloration. The coat is thick, but with brittle hair. Normal horns of an adult male consist of a main shaft pointing upward, with a lower tine pointing forward and an upper tine pointing backward, so that the number of tines on each side is 3 (however, atypical horns with 4-5 tines are not uncommon). The horns have a very tuberous rosette around the base and grow so close together that in adult animals the rosettes are often fused. The skull is wide, with a pressed muzzle. Females do not have horns, but sometimes they can grow a corolla that does not turn into horns. In winter, females develop a well-defined anal tuft of long hair, which can be mistaken for a tail.

BEHAVIOR. Usually keeps alone, but in winter it unites in small groups. Active mainly at night, spending daytime under the protection of vegetation cover. It feeds mainly on leaves and branches. Grass in the diet makes up about 10%. During the rut in August, the male usually sticks with the same female (unlike other species of deer, in which one male keeps several females close to him) and fiercely fights off other males. Roe deer are the only delayed implantation deer species in which fetal development does not begin until December or January. Fawns, usually two (one to three), are born in the spring. Roe deer do not tolerate captivity well; the maximum recorded period of stay in captivity is 7 years. All sense organs are well developed. Swims great. Shy, but curious. When alarmed, individuals of both sexes make sounds similar to the barking of a dog. The female makes a whistling sound during the rut and to attract fawns. Normal life expectancy in wildlife 10-12 years, maximum - about 17 years.

HABITAT. Usually light forests with open areas and developed undergrowth, as well as open swamps, steppes and alpine meadows.

SPREADING. Overall throughout Europe except Ireland, central England, far north, most of Portugal and islands Mediterranean Sea. Widely distributed in the Baltic countries, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova. The European roe deer is also found in Southwest Asia, where it lives in Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey), the northernmost part of Iraq and northern Iran.
In Russia lives in middle lane European part to the Volga River.

Hunting for roe deer is carried out mainly when it goes out to feed in open spaces in the morning and evening hours. Of interest are trophy males with well-developed horns. Moreover, with the correct organization of trophy hunting, it is very important to determine the moment when you can shoot a male with a “ripe” trophy. And to do this (give the command to shoot) neither a year earlier, when a still strong sire can leave full-fledged offspring, nor a year later, when luxurious and expensive horns begin to grow“float”, losing its trophy attractiveness. It is also important, without interrupting observations, to carry out selective shooting annually, gradually culling males that are weak, sick, or with irregular horns.

For the well-being of roe deer in a particular hunting area, it is necessary to establish a number of special biotechnical measures, because roe deer are very sensitive to critical natural conditions– crusts, snow depth, lack of food, etc. It is also important to organize effective protection of hunting grounds, both from four-legged and two-legged predators - poachers. Since roe deer are especially vulnerable to both at the end of winter, during deep snow, when there is no problem killing off most of their livestock.

This edition takes into account the following trophy categories:

European roe deer of the western territories– Kaliningrad region, Leningrad, Pskov, Novgorod, Tver, Smolensk, Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions. (competition table, photo gallery)
European roe deer of central territories- the rest, in addition to those listed above, the regions of the European part of the country up to the river. Volga in the east. (

The roe deer is the smallest representative of the deer family, living in the territory. This is a slender, graceful animal of medium size. The body weight of males is 24-32 kg, females - 21-30 kg. Only males have horns. They are relatively small, 17-26 cm long, close together at the base, their rosettes often touch.

The trunks of the horns are straight, their camber on average does not exceed 14 cm. There are usually three processes, they are located in the same plane. The tuberosity (pearliness) is relatively small - no more than 1 cm. Every year, male roe deer shed their antlers in October-November. The color of roe deer in winter ranges from gray-brown to dark on the head, back and sides and lighter on the stomach and the inside of the legs. There may be a grayish-white patch on the throat. The mirror is large, pure white. Summer body color is usually red or reddish-red. Top part heads are gray or grayish-brown. Roe deer habitats include areas forest areas with clearings, edges, floodplains overgrown with bushes, gullies and ravines, protective forest plantations, gardens.

The diet of roe deer is varied and varies according to the seasons of the year. Its diet includes more than 150 species of plants and fungi. Under unfavorable weather conditions in winter, roe deer eat the bark of aspen, oak and elm. The roe deer's rut ​​lasts from mid-July to the end of August, sometimes lasting until mid-September. Its activity and duration depend on weather conditions. The main calving time is May and the first ten days of June. The litter usually contains 1 - 2 (less often 3) calves.

According to state records, the number of European roe deer in the Belgorod region as of the first quarter of 2008 amounted to 7,100 individuals. This is the largest number of subpopulation groups of European roe deer among the administrative regions of the Central Federal District of Russia. In 1960, an attempt was made to resettle in the region 20 individuals of Siberian roe deer brought from the Primorsky Territory. The weight of the Siberian roe deer is 1.5-2 times more than the European roe deer. Also, its males have significantly different shapes and sizes of horns.

IN Belgorod district near the village In Solomino and in the adjacent territory, 10 Siberian roe deer were released. The experiment was unsuccessful: the local group of Siberian roe deer was absorbed by a larger group of European roe deer. In 1988, in the Yamskaya Dacha tract, at a distance of about 25 km northeast of the place where Siberian roe deer were released, a male roe deer with antlers that had signs of a Siberian roe deer was caught.

In subsequent years, individuals with signs of Siberian roe deer were not observed. The population density of roe deer in the reserve in different areas of the region is extremely uneven, varies widely from 0.5-2.9 to 32-43 individuals per 1 thousand hectares of characteristic land and largely depends on effectiveness of hunting grounds protection. The number and population density of roe deer is the lowest (less than 10 individuals per 1 thousand hectares of characteristic land), at which its hunting is unacceptable, in

The natural conditions of the region make it possible to increase the number of roe deer by 4-5 times. To do this, it is necessary to implement special measures to increase the biological capacity of the habitat of this species. In 2006, a scientific and practical seminar on the development and implementation of these activities was held on the basis of the Belorechye hunting complex. Staff members of a number of hunting users were trained.

Otherwise, European roe deer are called wild goats; very often these representatives of the family become victims of predators. In today's material we will consider everything that affects these individuals. How they prefer to get food, where they live, what the mating season is. There are many aspects, let's talk about them in order.

Description

1. Representatives of this variety have a relatively small body; it is rather short or medium, but not elongated. The rear section of the body is raised, so that the forelimbs appear to be shorter. The croup is thick and sloping. The weight of the animals reaches about 23 kg. Their body length is 100-130 cm. As for the height at the withers, animals grow to a maximum of 80 cm.
2. Sexual dimorphism is manifested in the fact that male individuals are slightly larger. However, in some cases this is not noticeable at all. Most major representatives The species are found in the eastern and northern parts of their distribution range. The head is shortened, wedge-shaped, tapering towards the nose. The eye area is wide and high. The skull expands in this zone, the facial part is short but wide. The ears are oval and elongated, with sharp edges. The eyes are large, protruding, the pupils are set crookedly.
3. The cervical region is elongated and thickened. The limbs are long, not too thick, the hooves are short. The tail is hidden under the fur. In summer and autumn, males sweat a lot. They also produce a pungent and strong-smelling secretion, which animals use to mark their territorial possessions. These animals do not see very well, but they have excellent hearing, which allows them to recognize danger in time and escape. The sense of smell is also well developed.
4. Males have moderately large horns, but do not stand out. There is no process above the eye sockets, the main horn curves towards the back. The horns are round in format, they have many tubercles and sections. This structure can be confused with a rosette. Certain individuals have abnormally developed horns. They begin their formation at the age of 4-5 months. The horns grow and branch slowly until the age of 3 years. Animals shed them in mid-autumn or early winter.
5. Female specimens do not have horns, but in some specimens they can grow in an ugly form. As for body pigmentation, adult animals are monochromatic. They are colored grayish or brownish-gray with a transition to a brownish pigment at the back of the body. But this is winter clothing. At all other times, individuals are usually brownish, beige, or gray-brown. The tail is light rufous or whitish, as is the caudal disc.
6. When summer comes, roe deer change their color. They become uniform and reddish, but lightening may be observed in the abdominal area. As a rule, they are either whitish or light red. The body pigmentation is more uniform in the summer. There are some varieties, for example in Germany, that are pigmented black. They can be glossy, matte, gray-brown-black.

Lifestyle

1. These animals are characterized by activity at different time intervals. A certain time is allocated for food, another period is for rest, and a third is created for movement and walking. These animals are especially often awake in the early morning or at dusk, but the final style of behavior depends on the territory of distribution and other aspects. This includes season, time of day, restlessness or lack thereof, etc.
2. Animals make excellent runners. This is what they use when they are about to escape from a hunting tiger or other predator. Roe deer can reach speeds of 60 kilometers per hour and even more. When she eats, she moves through the pasture without haste or fuss. She stops, listens to her surroundings, and relies entirely on her senses.
3. In summer and autumn, individuals move a lot at dusk to protect themselves from blood-sucking insects. In winter, feeding takes longer because you need to cover energy reserves and eat for future use. At this time, at least half a day is allocated for grazing. The rest of the time the individuals digest food and rest. When animals are in a calm state, they move at a walk or trot. If danger is brewing, then a gallop with jumps is used.

Habitat

1. The representatives of the species under discussion inhabit larches, mixed strips, and other forest-steppe areas. They do not live in coniferous areas unless there are at least a couple of larches that provide high-quality litter. There are no animals in complete wilderness, deserts, or semi-deserts. It is important for them that there is a food supply in the place of distribution. It is better if sparse forest strips with shrubs and lawns act as permanent habitat areas.
2. In summer they can graze in tall grass and undergrowth with bushes. They like floodplain ravines, clearings, and overgrown areas. Artiodactyls do not graze in forests. If we look at it in general, all representatives of the family are classified as forest-steppe. However, many people prefer a bushy type rather than a completely treed environment or open area.
3. The individuals under discussion have adapted to live near people, in cultivated landscapes and in other isolated areas. Animals quickly adapt to changes in environment And climatic conditions, so if necessary they can move to another place. Very often individuals are found near agricultural lands. They can hide under pine needles only during bad weather.
4. When choosing a permanent habitat, mammals focus on the availability of food or the lack thereof. It is also important that there are natural or artificial shelters nearby where the animal can hide from predators.

Lifespan

1. It is worth noting that individuals reach sexual maturity at the age of approximately 6 years. At this time, animals begin to prepare for the mating season. The problem is that when an animal grows up, it begins to become less able to absorb the nutrients that enter the body with food.
2. As a result, the physiological state of individuals becomes much weaker than before puberty. Among other things, various external factors also negatively affect the general condition of the animal.
3. Thus, the maximum age of the animals presented was 15 years. This roe deer lived in the wild in Australia. Specialists specially mark individuals after capture and then release them into the wild. This way they can keep track of everything life cycle. In captivity, roe deer live 25 years.

Nutrition

1. Most often, the mating season for the animals presented falls in mid-August. At this time, males acquire strong horns and a torso as a whole. The rut occurs in open forests, forest edges and bushes. During mating season males feed little and chase females.
2. During this time, 1 male can fertilize up to 5-6 females. Roe deer are the only artiodactyl latent animals. Therefore, the gestation period can last 260-320 days. Most often, young animals are born at the beginning of the vein.

Roe deer are quite interesting artiodactyl animals. Due to special weather conditions and predators, the number of individuals is gradually declining. Roe deer may soon become endangered.

Video: European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)