Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), also known as the Western Roe Deer or chevreuil, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from the British Isles to the Caucasus. It is distinct from the somewhat larger Siberian Roe Deer. English roe is from Old English raha, from Proto-Germanic raikhon, cognate to Old Norse rá and German Reh. A fifth century runic inscription on a roe deer ankle bone found in England (the "Caistor-by-Norwich astragalus") transliterates as raïhan, thought to refer to the deer itself. Ultimately, the word may be drawn from the Proto-Indo-European root rei-, meaning "streaked" or "spotted." Another translation suggests that "Roe" is a ancient word meaning the colour red.