Fallow deer
Fallow deer were introduced to British parks and forests by the Normans in the eleventh century and have since become the most widespread species of deer in Britain.
Life span Up to 16 years.
Statistics
Body length: 130-160cm, Shoulder height: 85-100cm, Weight: Males: 60-85kg, Females: 30-50kg.
Physical Description
Fallow deer have many colour varieties, but they are typically fawn-coloured in the summer and reddish-brown in the winter. They have yellow-white undersides, white spots and a black line that runs along the back to the tip of the tail. The spots become less conspicuous or disappear in winter. Males have palmate (flattened) antlers.
Distribution
Fallow deer are native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and from Turkey to Iran, but they have been introduced to 38 countries.
Habitat
Fallow deer typically occupy deciduous woodland with open patches.
Diet
They are grazers, feeding on grasses, herbs, berries, acorns and bark.
Behaviour
Fallow deer commonly gather in herds of 4-5, but in good feeding areas, groupings of 70-100 may gather. When competing for access to females, males display by groaning, thrashing their antlers and by walking alongside their opponent. Fighting occurs if both stags are evening matched, and involves wrestling and clashing of antlers.
Reproduction
Does give birth to a single fawn after a gestation period of 31-32 weeks. She usually leaves the herd to look for a hiding place to give birth. After the fawn is born, it remains in its hiding place (in bushes or dense vegetation). The doe returns every four hours to feed it until it is about four months old, when it joins the herd. The fawn is weaned after 7-9 months.
Conservation status
The Persian fallow deer (Dama dama mesopotamica) is classified as Endangered, but other subspecies are not considered to be at threat.
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