DIGITALNA ARHIVA ŠUMARSKOG LISTA
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ŠUMARSKI LIST 9-10/2007 str. 72     <-- 72 -->        PDF

Đ. Nikolandić, D. Degmečić: PLODNOST I VELIČINA LEGLA KOD EUROPSKE SRNE ... Šumarski list br. 9–10, CXXXI (2007), 465-474


in 10 days places of birth were searched for in the hunting-ground, and the
new found fawns in the litter, which still cannot follow their mother, were
recorded. Adequate places for bringing forth a fawn, such as clearings, parts
that are not very dense, young forest cultures and agricultural areas around
the forests, lucerne and wheat fields were searched with special care.


Through the examination of the uterus and determination of the number of
embryos we have established a high degree of fertilization in European roe
deer (Capreolus capreolus, L.). In the countries of middle Europe fertilization
is at around 90 % in relation to the total number of mature female roe deer.
The most intensive growth and development of the embryo, both in length
(growth of the skeleton) and in weight (growth in mass) was recorded during
April. The intensive growth in April is connected to habitat conditions: air
temperature rises, number of sunny hours in a day increases and vegetation
becomes the high-quality food for roe deer, because it is easy to digest and
rich in proteins. The female chooses the place where she will bring forth and
keep its fawn in the first few weeks of its life very carefully. A good roe deer-
mother leaves her young in well-hid places with adequate microclimate,
which she visits for a short while and very carefully to feed and take care of
the young. She goes away only to such distances where she can hear the screams
of the fawn if it is in danger. This particular care of the roe deer-mother
with highly developed motherly instincts is crucial for survival of fawns in the
first weeks of their life. The mortality of the young can also be caused by a
very rainy and cold spring, especially with fawns of small birth weight and
their poorly developed young mothers as well as with too old roe deer who do
not have enough milk or it is of low-quality. The loss of newly born fawns
occurs also during mowing of Lucerne fields and grassland around the forest,


o
i
iif
ff we fail to chase out the animals or mark the places of game litter before
mowing. During the fawning period (May-June) biggest losses of fawns occur
also due to predators: foxes, jackals, wild cats, stray dogs, etc.


Key words: Baranja, Haljevo forest, roe deer, female roe deer, ovaries,
diapause, corpus luteum, embryo, planned recruitment, number of fawns,
place of birth, mortality, predators