Red Stag

(Species Information only - For Destinations, make your selection from the list on the left)

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are native to Europe and Asia, occurring as far east as Tibet. A small population also exists in Tunisia. Since the 19th century, red deer have been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. Their adaptability has resulted in red deer being placed on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) list of '100 of the world´s worst invasive alien species'.

Red deer form herds but for most of the year the sexes remain apart. The older stags keep to themselves while the hinds and younger animals form matriarchal herds which may be led by an older female. The two sexes come together only during the breeding season, which is known as the ´rut´ or the ´roar´. In Queensland, the rut starts late March or early April and lasts for six to 12 weeks. During the rut, stags roar their challenge to other males and contest to collect as many females as they can into 'harems' which may number up to 50 hinds. Stags are very aggressive during the rut. It is not uncommon for stags to harass domestic stock.

Although red deer is not a declared animal under Queensland legislation, its control is recommended.

Scientific name: Cervus elaphus
Impacts	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
Description	is one of the larger deer species stags may stand 120 cm at the shoulder and weigh up to 220 kg hinds are around 90 cm, more lightly built, weighing up to 100 kg has a glossy reddish brown to brown summer coat, winter coat is longer and brown to grey mature red deer show a straw-coloured rump patch calves' coats at birth have white spots which fade and disappear by about three months of age stags develop a mane during winter stags carry multi-tined antlers the best trophy stags have antlers with six or more points on each side
Habitat and distribution	adult hinds give birth to a single calf (rarely two) after a gestation of about 233 days prefers open, grassy glades in forest most active at dawn and dusk, feeding more during darkness where they experience frequent disturbance are grazers and browsers, with more woody browse and tree shoots taken when feed is scarce released near Esk in the late 19th century range covers the area around the headwaters of the Brisbane, Mary and Burnett rivers

Source: http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/4790_8275_ENA_HTML.htm