Fallow
(Species Information only - For Destinations, make your selection from the list on the left)
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Fallow deer (Dama dama) originated in Iran and Iraq. The subspecies of fallow deer which is now widely kept on deer farms and in parks - European fallow, sometimes known as park deer - has been maintained in semi-captive conditions or as an introduced animal since the days of the Roman Empire. It is found in the wild and in captivity in most European countries. It has also been introduced into the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Although fallow deer is not a declared animal under Queensland legislation, its control is recommended.
| Scientific name: Dama dama |
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Impacts
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- can cause damage to agricultural crops and gardens in outer urban areas
- hazardous on suburban roads and major highways
- large numbers of deer also pose a threat to the environment
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Description
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- bucks stand 90 cm at the shoulder and weigh around 90 kg. Does stand around 76 cm at the shoulder and weigh up to 42 kg
- there are four colour varieties of European fallow, with tan or fawn with white spotting on the flanks being most common
- has a long tail, black on top and white underneath, surrounded by a white rump patch outlined with a characteristic black horseshoe pattern
- the winter coat is longer and more grey with indistinct spots
- the menil variety has a paler coat and keeps its white spots all year, lacking the black-bordered rump
- black fallow deer are almost entirely black with no white coloration
- white fallow are white to sandy, with the coat becoming more white at adulthood
- fawns are born with a coat similar to the adult's summer coat
- the antlers of adult fallow bucks (over three years) are flattened and palmate with numerous points, increasing in size with age, up to 70 cm long
- displays a bouncy gait when alarmed
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Habitat and distribution
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- mature bucks live apart from the does until the start of the rut, during which dominant bucks herd groups of does, mark out territories and rutting stands, mating on their territories
- bucks can be very aggressive and dangerous when rutting
- breeding season usually begins in April and lasts 6-8 weeks, with males remaining aggressive until early August
- adult does give birth to a single fawn after a gestation of about 230 days
- a temperate species, less suited to hot conditions than other introduced deer species
- most active at dawn and dusk, feeding more during darkness
- prefers open, grassy glades in forest, with dense understorey a favoured retreat
- are grazers and browsers - trees and shrubs are browsed more when feed is scarce
- introduced into southern Queensland in the late 19th century
- established populations occur west of Stanthorpe with scattered populations around Warwick
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Source: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_8274_ENA_HTML.htm
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