Roe deer change their coats
Vive Cabeceiras · Biologia da espécie · contexto português

One coat for summer, another for winter.

The roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, changes from a reddish-brown coat in summer to a grey one in winter. It eats plants and also uses open areas and scrub. This species description does not identify a sighting point in the municipality. Roe deer are small deer: the platform’s description gives a weight of up to 30 kg. Males have antlers; the white rump patch is kidney-shaped in males and heart-shaped in females.

Antlers follow a cycle too: the platform describes annual growth and shedding in roe deer and red deer. They are therefore not a feature that stays the same all year. On the head, the mostly black nose and upper lip contrast with the white lower lip.

Activity patterns add another difference. Although mainly active at dusk and at night, the source presents the roe deer as Portugal’s most daytime-active deer. These are species tendencies, not a guaranteed time to see one. Shape, season and behaviour need to be considered together when learning about an animal.

Sources and context
Lobo-Iberico platform in Portugal — wolf prey; registration of Cabreira without date indicated
https://www.loboiberico.pt/lobo-iberico/presas/
Accessed: 2026-11-07

Editorial summary. The date of consultation is not the date of the facts.
Text and recipe, when available. Photos, activities and updates on the page:
https://vivecabeceiras.pt/en/descobrir/terra-viva/?leitura=corco-pelagem#corco-pelagem