The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is the smallest member of the deer family (Cervidae) that lives here. The shoulder height of the roe deer is between 90 and 95 cm, and an adult animal is just over a meter long. Large ears on a relatively short head on a long neck betray a timid animal. At the slightest hint of danger, with long leaps on its slender legs over heather and tussock, it darts into cover. Its tail is very short. It is white on the underside, which roe deer use for communication within the herd and also with predators. The whiteness of the raised tail alerts other animals in the herd to danger and tells the predator that they have noticed it. In summer its coat is reddish-brown, and for winter it is replaced by a thicker gray-brown coat. The stag's head is adorned with antlers, which shed in autumn, but grow back by spring. Females do not have antlers.
The roe deer herd feels most at home and thrives in dense vegetation, both in forest undergrowth and in tall grasses of unmown meadows. It also grazes on more exposed pastures, where the grass is more nutritious, but it usually only ventures there at dusk, early in the morning or in the evening, and only for a short time. It quickly eats the vegetation, then retreats into the shelter of shrubs, where it chews in peace. As mentioned, the roe deer live in small groups – herds – older males become loners. We are often startled by a hoarse bark in the dark part of the day, which will echo from the nearby forest, but fear is unnecessary, as that is how a roe deer stag vocalizes ...
In the deer family there is a peculiarity in the development of the embryo that is characteristic only for the roe deer – delayed implantation. This is a phenomenon in which embryonic development stops very early, then after a period of rest it implants into the wall of the uterus and continues developing. The main predators of roe deer in the wild are the lynx and the wolf. A pack of wolves, with their pursuits, mainly catches animals in poorer condition. While in the cultural landscape – a semi-natural environment shaped by humans – the roe deer population is reduced by diseases and parasites and by humans.
