The popular name for wild goats living in Europe, Siberia, the Far East, and the Caucasus is roe deer. These small, beautiful, elegant and graceful animals are one of the most famous representatives of European deer. Roe deer inhabit mixed and deciduous forests and forest-steppes. Hunting for these trusting artiodactyls is popular, and therefore the number of wild goats is constantly declining.
Description of wild goats
In some areas of European roe deer from the genus of deer (Capreolus capreolus) are called roe deer, chamois, sanadas (males - agrimi).The animals have a slender build, a long neck, thin and long legs. Body length is 100-125 centimeters, height at withers is 65-80 centimeters. The weight of males is about 25-30 kilograms. Females are slightly smaller in size and weight. The anatomical differences between them are weakly expressed.
Only males have small, twice-branched, up to 30 centimeters, horns with three branches at the top. The growth of horns in kids begins at 4 months of age; their full formation ends when the animal turns 3 years old. They are shed annually in late autumn and early winter, and are restored again by May.
The summer color of goats is dark red (the head is gray with a reddish tint). In winter it changes to gray or gray-brown. Kids up to three months old have a camouflage spotted color and practically no smell. Molting occurs twice a year - at the end of spring and at the beginning of autumn. The specific timing depends on the climatic conditions of the region of residence.
The thin legs of wild goats end in small hooves. The support in them is on two fingers, two more are hanging, rudimentary. The European forest roe deer, on average, lives 15-16 years, some individuals live up to 20 years or more.
Some scientists distinguish the Siberian roe deer (Capreolns pygargus), which lives in Asia and is distinguished by its larger size, as a separate subspecies. These animals weigh up to 59 kilograms and reach a meter height at the withers. This variety of wild goats lives not only in Siberia, but also in the Far East, in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and is acclimatized in the Volga region and Ciscaucasia.
Peculiarities in behavior
Wild goats are agile and graceful in their movements, jump easily - 5 meters in length and more than 2 meters in height, and can swim.The animal has excellent hearing and sensitivity, but at the same time it is very trusting and fearful. Fear can literally paralyze a wild goat, so even adult goats easily fall prey to predators. If one of the roe deer senses danger and takes a pose of alarm, the rest also become wary, huddling together.
Adults can run fast, at speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, but over short distances: in open areas, a wild goat runs 300-400 meters, in the thicket of a forest - no more than 100 meters. After this, the animal begins to meander, confusing its pursuers. In sparsely populated places, without fear of people, roe deer allow them to approach them at a distance of less than 20 meters.
In spring and summer, goats are more active at dusk and at night, in winter - in the morning hours. From early spring to autumn, males rub their antlers against branches and trunks of trees and bushes. In this way they mark their territory, warning potential rivals.
The sound signals produced by animals are also very informative:
- stamping feet and whistling express concern;
- when highly excited, roe deer hiss;
- in case of anxiety - something like barking;
- the caught goats squeal.
It is difficult for roe deer to walk on snow cover, so in winter they often use the paths of other animals or hunters. They slide on the ice.
Where do they live?
Wild goats live in mixed or deciduous forests, in the deciduous undergrowth of coniferous forests, and in forest-steppe. They often prefer edges overgrown with bushes, floodplains of reservoirs, ravines, and clearings with sparse undergrowth.At the same time, too open spaces are avoided, since they need shelter from bad weather and enemies. These animals are well adapted to living near humans; they can often be found in bushes near agricultural land. They usually live in one place and migrate extremely rarely - if the snow cover is too high in winter.
Chamois nutrition and lifestyle
The diet of roe deer includes up to 900 species of plants. It mainly consists of young shoots of deciduous trees, foliage, buds of coniferous trees, various herbs and unripe cereals, nuts, and acorns. Goats eat little by little, but often - 5-10 times a day, eating 1.5-4 kilograms of greenery during this time. If there is a body of water, they visit it regularly, and if there is none, they are content with rainwater or dew drops on the leaves.
Males during the period of horn growth, and females during pregnancy, need mineral salts and try to find salt licks.
These animals can raid orchards, especially liking apples. They practically do not harm vegetable gardens, but in the fall they prefer seeded clover, rapeseed seedlings, and especially grain crops. Wild goats usually lead a solitary lifestyle. Groups are formed in case of a shortage of males or in winter, when it is easier for several families to survive together. In forest areas, a herd consists of up to 15 individuals, in the forest-steppe - twice as many. For most of the year, adult females stay in small family herds, and males live alone. Goats and bucks usually spend their days in shelters. Lairs are made in the thicket of the forest or in tall grains, tearing turf or moss with its front legs.
Reproduction
The mating season for wild goats is called the rut. In European individuals it lasts from July to mid-August, in Siberian individuals - until September.At this time, males become very excited and enter into fights, which often end in injury. The gestation period of wild goats is almost 9 months. The first cat usually brings one cub, then two or three. In the first days, mothers do not leave their kids, protecting them, then the kids themselves follow them. For the first few months, roe deer spend most of their time in shelters while the mother feeds and rests nearby. The babies stay with the goats until the next heat period.
Interesting fact: roe deer are the only deer that can “slow down” their own pregnancy if mating occurs too early. To prevent newborn kids from dying in winter, the embryo temporarily does not develop, being born only at the beginning of next summer.
Dangers and Enemies
Of the natural enemies, the most dangerous for Siberian roe deer are wolves, bears, lynxes, and in the Central European part - foxes and stray dogs. Most often, their prey is old or wounded animals, small goats. Eagle owls can also hunt babies.
A special category of enemies of wild goats are certain types of flies, the larvae of which develop on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity or under the skin of the animal, causing it constant suffering. Roe deer are the object of commercial and sport hunting and often become the prey of poachers. In some regions they are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species.
