Fallow deer
Dama dama
Did you know ... that fallow deer can have different coat colours? Reddish brown coats with more or less prominent white mottling (in their summer coats) are the most common, although around a fifth of wild fallow deer deviate from this normal colouring. As a result, there are deer with almost black coats and some with white fur.
Family
Cervidae
Distribution
Originally, the fallow deer comes from the Near East/Little Asia. However, it was already introduced to other regions by the Romans. In Switzerland fallow deer are found only in wildlife parks.Wild populations in other countries originate from animals that were abandoned or escaped.
Habitat
Interspersed deciduous and mixed woodlands with open areas and dense undergrowth.
Lifestyle
Fallow deer does and calves live in herds all year round. The bucks live alone but join the herds during the rutting season.
Reproduction
The mating season is in October or sometimes somewhat later. The males fight among themselves to establish dominance over a herd. They employ their shovel-shaped antlers, which are fully grown in September, as weapons. The sounds they emit during rutting sound like snoring or burping. The gestation period is around 33 weeks. They generally give birth to a single calf in June.
Diet
Like the red deer, the fallow deer is a ruminant that eats grasses, herbs, buds, fruits and leaves from bushes and trees.
Senses
Its best-developed sense is vision, which it employs to spot enemies from a distance, supported by its sense of hearing and smell. Individuals use scents, vocalisations and visual signals to communicate with each other.
The fallow deer in Langenberg
Since 1869. The fallow deer herd is kept on different pastures depending on the condition of the grass.
