[5][6] The word is attested on the 5th-century Caistor-by-Norwich astragalus – a roe deer talus bone, written in Elder Futhark as ᚱᚨᛇᚺᚨᚾ, transliterated as raïhan.

Roe deer populations gradually become somewhat larger as one moves further to the east, peaking in Kazakhstan, then becoming smaller again towards the Pacific Ocean.

The Soviet mammalogist Vladimir Sokolov had recognised this as a separate species from 1985 already using electrophoretic chromatography to show differences in the fractional protein content of the body tissues.

[16] Alexander S. Graphodatsky looked at the karyotypy to present more evidence to recognise these Russian and Asian populations as a separate species, now renamed the eastern or Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus).

In recent times, since the 1960s,[22] the two species have become sympatric where their distributions meet, and there is now a broad 'hybridization zone' running from the right side of the Volga River up to eastern Poland.

When the male's antlers begin to regrow, they are covered in a thin layer of velvet-like fur which disappears later on after the hair's blood supply is lost.

[citation needed] In rare cases, some bucks possess only a single antler branch, the result of a genetic defect.

[31][32] The roe deer is found in most areas of Europe, with the exception of northernmost Scandinavia,[33] Iceland, Ireland, and the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.

[21] In Flanders the roe deer was mostly confined to the hilly regions in the east, but like in neighbouring countries the population has expanded in recent times.

[36] At the start of the 20th century, they were almost extirpated in Southern England, but since then have hugely expanded their range, mostly due to restrictions and decrease in hunting, increases in forests and reductions in arable farming, changes in agriculture (more winter cereal crops), a massive reduction in extensive livestock husbandry, and a general warming climate over the past 200 years.

In 1884 roe deer were introduced from Württemberg in Germany into the Thetford Forest, and these spread to populate most of Norfolk, Suffolk, and substantial parts of Cambridgeshire.

By the end of the 20th century, they had repopulated much of southern England and had expanded into Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire, and had even spread into Wales from the Ludlow area where an isolated population had appeared.

At the same time, the surviving population in Scotland and the Lake District had pushed further south beyond Yorkshire and Lancashire and into Derbyshire and Humberside.

[36] Not being a species that needs large areas of woodland to survive, urban roe deer are now a feature of several cities, notably Glasgow and Bristol, where in particular they favour cemeteries.

[36] Roe deer are found in northern Iran in the Caspian region: they occur in the Hyrcanian woodlands and agricultural lands of the Alborz Mountains (Golestan National Park, Jahan Nama Protected Area).

[40][41] Scottish roe deer were introduced to the Lissadell Estate in County Sligo in Ireland around 1870 by Sir Henry Gore-Booth.

[42] The Lissadell roe deer were noted for their occasional abnormal antlers and survived in that general area for about 50 years before they died out.

[45] In 1991, a breeding colony of 27 roe deer coming from France, Hungary and Italy were brought in the Hai-Bar Carmel Reserve.

[46][48] This species can utilize a large number of habitats, including open agricultural areas and above the tree line, but a requisite factor is access to food and cover.

Does (the females) make a high-pitched "pheep" whine to attract males during the rut (breeding season) in July and August.

During courtship, when the males chase the females, they often flatten the underbrush, leaving behind areas of the forest in the shape of a circle or figure eight called 'roe rings'.

Females are monoestrous and after delayed implantation usually give birth the following June, after a 10-month gestation period, typically to two spotted fawns of opposite sexes.

[citation needed] During the mating season, a male roe deer may mount the same doe several times over a duration of several hours.

[41] The roe deer is a game animal of great economic value in Europe, providing large amounts of meat and earning millions of euros in sport hunting.

[24] As of 2008, over 3,000 fossil specimens of this species had been recovered from Europe, which affords a good set of data to elucidate the prehistoric distribution.

In most Bibles this word has usually been translated as 'roe deer', and it still means as much in Arabic (أحمر, pronounced 'ahmar) -it was still said to be a common species in the Mount Carmel area in the 19th century.

When the story was adapted to the animated film Bambi by Walt Disney Pictures, the main character was changed to a white-tailed deer.

[64] Albino roe deer were exceedingly rare in history, and they were regarded as national treasures or sacred animals in ancient times in China.