Does with antlers, i.e. intersex in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) - description of cases

The study aimed at describing single cases of intersex occurring in roe deer in a form of secondary sexual characteristics, i.e. antlers, which is the feature immanent to males of that deer species. Four cases of roe deer females (Cepreolus capreolus) obtained in the Lublin province have been described. The bone growths forming pedicles and antlers have been found on frontal bones of the skulls of those roe deer females. All cases concerned older females with the carcass weight below average for that region. In the doe that developed typical antlers, these antlers were covered with velvet, i.e. the tissue characteristic of antlers in deer males during their growth. In the remaining cases, both growths and vestigial antlers were covered with typical hair coating. Evaluation of other sexual traits allowed to conclude that the studied cases should be classified as pseudo-hermaphroditism, i.e. alleged intersex. Despite the fact that intersex among game animals is not frequent, it should not be treated as completely exceptional, which has been confirmed by studied cases along with similar ones presented both in the Polish and other European literature references.