G-banding, C-banding and silver staining techniques were used to analyse the chromosomes of the roe deer (2n=70, NF=72). On the basis of several G-banded metaphases a standard description of the karyotype has been proposed. C-bands show constitutive heterochromatin in the centromeric regions of all the autosomes. The submetacentric X and Y are both C-band negative. The largest centromeric C-bands in prometaphase plates are differentiated into two distinct bands. The nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) are terminally located distally on the largest pair of autosomes, in close correspondence with a G negative secondary constriction. Associations were seen in 11% of all investigated metaphases.