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Dama dama

Fallow deer

Männchen (CC BY-SA 2.0) Johann-Nikolaus Andreae

Short Description

The fallow deer is a medium-sized deer. Its summer coat is red-brown with obvious white spots. In winter, it appears dark to ash-grey. Tracks of a fallow deer can be identified from the impressions of its two long paired cleaves (toes). The rounded heel accounts for about half of the impression.

Males are easily recognised from their broad, laterally flattened antlers.

Females are overall more slender in appearance. They have a more graceful walk and a long tail.

Features

Fallow deer

Dama dama

  • shovel-shaped antlers in males

  • reddish-brown coat with white spots

Similar species

Roe deer

Capreolus capreolus
It is smaller and has short, erect antlers. Its tracks are a bit smaller and narrower.

Red deer

Cervus elaphus
It is larger and has pointed, branched antlers.
Weibchen (CC BY-SA 3.0) Traroth

In the city

Fallow deer prefer comparatively sparse forests and open spaces. This habitat can for example be found in parklands with pastures. They can also live in small forests and can thus also be found near human habitation.

Fun Facts

  • Young fallow deer recognise their mothers by their individual calls. These sound like a loud bark. Fawns call with a squeak.

  • Fallow deer are the closest relations to the extinct giant deer.

  • During the rutting season, a male loses up to a third of its weight.

  • Pure white to pure black colour anomalies are quite common in fallow deer. They are probably the result of their long domestication.

  • There are two subspecies: the European and the Persian fallow deer. The latter can be observed in Berlin Zoo.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not evaluated

  • The fallow deer originates from the Middle East. Populations in Germany were introduced from Denmark in the 16th century.

Jungtier (CC BY-SA 4.0) Marek Szczepanek

Sources

Männchen , Johann-Nikolaus Andreae, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fallow_deer_in_field.jpg

Weibchen, Traroth, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silz_daim11.jpg

Jungtier, Marek Szczepanek, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dama_dama_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg

Masseti, M. & Mertzanidou, D. (2008) Dama dama. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, URL: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/42188/0 (Accessed: 01.01.2017).

Dewald, U. (2005) Riesenhafte Verwandtschaft, URL: http://www.wissenschaft.de/home/-/journal_content/56/12054/1033244/ (Accessed: 01.01.2017).

Schöbi, K. (2006) Vergebliche Rufe nach der Mutter, URL: http://www.wissenschaft.de/home/-/journal_content/56/12054/1023353/ (Accessed: 01.01.2017).

Sielmanns Natur-Ranger Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) Damwild, URL: http://www.natur-ranger.de/de/wissen/tierkunde/Damwild.php (Accessed: 01.01.2017).

Dein Natur- & Jagdportal (n.d.) Damwild Steckbrief, URL: https://auf-jagd.de/haarwild/damwild-steckbrief/ (Accessed: 01.01.2017).

Deutscher Jagdverband e.V. (2005) Fährten und Spuren: Bestimmungshilfe für Naturfreunde, URL: https://www.jagdverband.de/sites/default/files/Faehrten-und-Spuren_2015_RZ-vs.pdf (Accessed: 30.03.2021).

Wildnisschule Wildniswissen (n.d.) Herzlich willkommen auf Spurenjagd.de! URL: http://www.spurenjagd.de/ (Accessed: 01.12.2016).

Kirchner Süderwalsede (2007) Fährten und Spuren. Bestimmungshilfe für Naturfreunde, URL: http://www.kirchner-raddestorf.de/jikirchner/jagd/brauchtm/faehrten.htm (Accessed: 16.02.2017).

Page „Damhirsch“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 04.01.2017, 12:32 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Damhirsch&oldid=161269361 (Accessed: 16.02.2017).

NABU Landesverband Nordrhein-Westfalen (n.d.) Der Damhirsch. Dama dama, URL: https://nrw.nabu.de/natur-und-landschaft/landnutzung/jagd/jagdbare-arten/weitere-saeugetiere/06784.html (Accessed: 16.02.2017).

Haupt, H., Ludwig, G., Gruttke, H., Binot-Hafke, M., Otto C. & Pauly, A. (2009) Rote Liste gefährdeter Tiere, Pflanzen und Pilze Deutschlands. volume 1: Wirbeltiere, Bonn-Bad Godesberg: Bundesamt für Naturschutz.

Klawitter, J., Altenkamp, R., Kallasch, C., Köhler, D., Krauß, M., Rosenau, S. & Teige, T. (2005) Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Säugetiere (Mammalia) von Berlin. : Der Landesbeauftragte für Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege / Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung (eds.) Rote Listen der gefährdeten Pflanzen und Tiere von Berlin, URL: https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/natur-und-gruen/naturschutz/artenschutz/artenlisten-rote-listen/saeugetiere/ (Accessed: 30.03.2021).