Siberian roe deer

The Siberian roe deer, also called the eastern roe deer or Asian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), is a type of roe deer that lives in northeastern Asia. You can find these deer in places like Siberia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, eastern Tibet, the Korean Peninsula, and the forested areas of northern China.

The name pygargus means "white-rumped" and comes from an old name for an antelope. A scientist named Peter Simon Pallas gave this name to the deer in the late 1700s. One special feature of the Siberian roe deer is that they have long antlers. These deer are interesting because they live in many different places and have unique traits that help them survive.

Taxonomy

The Siberian roe deer was once thought to be the same as the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), but it is now known to be a separate species.

There are two subspecies of Siberian roe deer: C. p. pygargus and C. p. tianschanicus. The second subspecies is named after the Tian Shan mountains.

Description

The Siberian roe deer is a medium-sized deer with a long neck and large ears. It can be up to 146 cm (4.8 ft) long and weigh about 59 kg (130 lb). This deer has larger antlers with more branches than the European roe deer. In winter, the deer in the north have light gray fur, while those in the south are grayish brown. Their bellies are creamy, and they have a white patch on their tails. During summer, their fur turns reddish, and young deer have spots. Males are bigger and have three-tined antlers that they shed each autumn or early winter and grow back soon after. These deer usually live about 8 to 12 years, with some living up to 18 years.

Distribution and habitat

Siberian roe deer live in the temperate zone of Eastern Europe and parts of Central and East Asia. In the past, they were also found in the northern Caucasus Mountains and eastern Ukraine. However, their numbers dropped in some areas due to overhunting.

These deer have a light, slender body that helps them move through tall grass. They prefer to live in forests and steppe areas, especially where there are tall-grass meadows and floodplains. They can survive in very cold and very hot weather.

Fossil record

Denisova Cave, a famous site where scientists found clues about the Denisovans, has also shared fossils of the Siberian roe deer. This shows that these deer lived in the area a very long time ago.

Ecology

The Siberian roe deer eats many kinds of plants, including leafy plants, grass-like plants, and small trees. In winter, their body uses less energy to stay alive when food is hard to find. During summer, they need extra minerals and often visit natural places with salty dirt to get what they need. They get most of their water from the moist plants they eat instead of drinking it.

These deer can jump very far—up to 15 meters! Mating happens in August and September. Female deer are special because their babies develop slowly before growing quickly. They usually have two babies at once, who stay with their mother for about four to five months before eating solid food. Females can have babies when they are one year old but often wait until they are two. Males are usually ready to mate when they are three years old. These deer don’t usually live longer than ten years.

Males show their area by rubbing special liquids from their heads on trees and plants or by scraping trees with their antlers. They also make different sounds like squeaking, barking, and whining to talk to each other. Some of these deer travel long distances together during certain times of the year.

They have several animals that hunt them, such as the Amur leopard, Siberian lynx, snow leopard, Himalayan wolf, and Siberian tiger.