Roe Deer

Latin name: Capreolus capreolus

Size: body length 95-135cm, height 63-67cm, weight 15-35kg

Lifespan: Usually 7-10 years, but they have been known to live up to 20 years

Diet: Grass, leaves berries and young plant shoots.

Habitat: Dense woodland with open meadows or farmland nearby.

A very nervous animal, roe deer seek our pastures for grazing, but always nearby to thick hedges, brambles or woodland where they can retreat if they feel threatened.

Did you know? Of the six deer species in the UK only roe deer and red deer are truly native, the other's were imported.

Roe deer can be identified by their relatively small stature, reddish brown colour and white or pale rump.

Bucks grow antlers that point straight up and usually have 3 or 4 prongs. They use these for rutting in the autumn and they'll sometimes rub their antlers against trees to speed up the hardening process, ready to battle other bucks for mating rights.