Bed‐site selection by adult roe deerCapreolus capreolusin southern Norway during summer

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Abstract
Bed‐sites of radio‐collared adult roe deerCapreolus capreoluswere identified during summer 1994 in the Lier valley, southern Norway. Site characteristics were measured at the bed‐site and at a randomly chosen site 50 m away. Roe deer preferred to bed down below dense canopy cover, but showed no preference for bedding close to tree trunks. The availability of herbs was higher at bed‐sites than at random sites, and higher at bed‐sites used by females than at bed‐sites used by males. On warm days the abundance of herbs at bed‐sites was lower than on cold days, indicating movement away from feeding sites. During warm days roe deer selected bed‐sites with humid substrates, probably to increase heat loss by conduction. Bed‐sites were well concealed.