Abstract:Food and conditions to avoid predation are important factors determining animal habitat selection. In December 2018 and September 2019, we investigated 25 and 42 transects, respectively, with a length of 60 meters within the winter and summer-autumn home range of the Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) in the Tieli Forestry Bureau of the Lesser Xing’an Mountains. We analyzed the food and conditions to avoid predation of different landscape types within the home range of the Siberian roe deer. The former included food quantity and food quality, and litterfall was taken into account in the investigation of food factor in winter. The latter included hiding cover and escape cover, and we distinguish them from the prey"s point of view in order to more fully identify the conditions to avoid predation. Our results showed that: (1) the food quantity within the summer-autumn home range was significantly higher than that within the winter home range (42.83 g/m2 vs. 16.45 g/m2). Within the winter home range, the meadow had the highest edible biomass (41.65 g/m2) and the soybean field’s biomass was the lowest (8.24 g/m2); within the summer-autumn home range, the corn field had the highest edible biomass (139.95 g/m2) and the mixed forest’s biomass was the lowest (15.07 g/m2). (2) The relative and absolute contents of food quality were different between the winter and summer-autumn home range. In terms of the relative and absolute contents of food quality within the winter home range, the meadow had the highest hemicellulose (20.98%; 873.87 g/m2), cellulose (34.76%; 1447.85 g/m2) and lignin (11.65%; 485.03 g/m2), while the corn field had the highest non-fibrous fraction (91.90%; 1781.03 g/m2) and the lowest lignin (0.10%; 2.00 g/m2); within the summer-autumn home range, the soybean field had the highest cellulose (15.34%; 1931.31 g/m2), nitrogen (3.76%; 472.81 g/m2) and carbon (45.76%; 5759.77 g/m2), while the corn field had the highest non-fibrous fraction (91.95%; 12868.46 g/m2). (3) In terms of hiding cover and escape cover, the low vegetation coverage (28%) and high outward visibility (171 m) within the winter home range were more conducive to escape, while the high vegetation coverage (40%) and low outward visibility (57 m) within the summer-autumn home range were more conducive to hide. Our study completely revealed the characteristics of the basic living conditions of the Siberian roe deer and provided a necessary basis and reference for the research on the habitat selection of herbivores inhabiting in the Lesser Xing’an Mountains.