BIOMETRIC ANALYSIS APPLIED TO THREE AGE CLASSES OF ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS CAPREOLUS) IN A POPULATION OF CENTRAL ITALY

The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, L. 1758) is one of the most widespread wild ungulates in Italy. It is often used as a bioindicator and it is able to strongly model and influence the ecosystem in which it lives, since adults are quite demanding from an environmental point of view; the shrub layer is crucial and highly significant; the forest should be open, not dense and shady, and they require a well-developed ecotone area. However, despite their environmental influence and widespread distribution, little is known about the potential relationship between biometric parameters and the different phenological developmental stages of the two sexes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between body/cranial parameters and sex-specific developmental phases, both to create a database and to provide morphological information useful for deepening the knowledge of the roe deer population, in order to better plan ecosystem management through more tailored hunting activities.