Roe Deer

Quick facts

Common name: Roe Deer

Scientific name: Capreolus capreolus

Origin: native

Length: 0.9-1.3m

Shoulder height: 60-75cm

Weight: 10-25kg

Colour:  Reddish, Grey-Brown

Average lifespan: 7 years

Information

• What do they eat: Grasses, sedges, the leaves and shoots of trees and other woody plants. Fruit and berries are sometimes eaten too.

• One of only two native species of deer in the UK, the Roe Deer is the most common in the Northeast of England. 

• Both sexes of roe deer make a dog-like barking sound and they can reach up to 37 miles per hour when they run.

If you ever find a young deer that looks as though it has been abandoned – leave it alone and creep away quietly. A mother deer normally leaves her babies hidden while she goes off to feed and will return later when nobody is about.