Abstract: Fat content of bone marrow has long been related to physiological condition in deer. To assess body condition of roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus) , marrowfat index was employed. Tibiae , radii , metacarpal and metatarsal bones of 6 roe deer were collected in Xiaodong Forestry Region during winter season in 1999 , the marrow fat contents were analyzed by use of ether extraction , ovendrying , and reagent-drying method respectively , and the ages were determined by dental cementum. The results of comparison of marrow fat content for each bone after ether extraction , oven-drying , and reagent-drying indicated a high degree of similarity ( P >0.05). No significant differences existed between the tibia and radius , metacarpal and metatarsal bone ( P > 0.05). Low level of bone marrow fat content (54.93 ±30.88 % , measured by ether extraction method for tibia) meant that roe deer remained in a phase of undernutrition. Under low crude protein and energy content of natural vegetation and low digestibility of browse during winter , roe deer relied primarily on diet and its fat stores to partially meet energy requirements. As roe deer’s nutritional status declined , its body fat stores were mobilized and depleted , which can be reflected by the low kidney fat content (12.50 ±8.34 %) . Marrow fat index along with kidney fat index can be useful as a indicator in assessing roe deer's body condition.

Key words: Roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus), Marrow fat index, Kidney fat index, Body condition, Winter

关键词: 狍, 骨髓脂肪指数, 肾脂肪指数, 体状况, 冬季