Fun Fallow Deer Facts For Kids

This medium-sized deer is one of the most attractive. The fallow deer (Dama dama) is a member of the Cervidae family of ruminant mammals. Their pretty-looking coat comes in four different colors - brown with white spots, pale brown or almost white, pure white, and black. The white fallow deer is quite rare, compared to the other three types.

Given the similarity in appearance, people often get confused between roe deer and fallow deer. Here is how to differentiate between the two - the color of a roe deer's coat changes with the season. While it is mostly brown during the summer days, it turns gray during the winter. On the other hand, the fallow deer does not go through any such change. Also, unlike the fallow deer, the roe deer does not have white spots on its coat. While male fallow deers have large palmate antlers, roe deer have small antlers. Compared to the roe deers, fallow deer is larger.

Keep on reading to learn more interesting facts about the fallow deer.

Do you love to learn about new and exotic animals living around the world? Then check out the plains zebra and deer.
 

What type of animal is a fallow deer?

The fallow deer (Dama dama) is a medium-sized deer that belongs to the Cervidae family. They are quite different as compared to the ordinary deers.

What class of animal does a fallow deer belong to?

Fallow deers belong to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many fallow deers are there in the world?

In Turkey, where it was native, the number of fallow deers has come down to less than 40 individuals. The decreasing number of herds of the deers might be due to fallow deer hunting in some parts. The good news is that their number is increasing in Rhodes where there are approximately 400-800 individuals living now.

Where does a fallow deer live?

The fallow deers are native to Southwest Asia and later they spread to the Mediterranean region. Then the Normans introduced them to England. Now they have spread all over the world. Fallow deers live across Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In England, a fallow deer is a common sight.

What is a fallow deer's habitat?

You can find fallow deer anywhere in grassy areas, deciduous woodland, mixed woodland, or forests. The deers become territorial during the rut, or breeding, season in October. They can live in various kinds of climates from warm and dry to cold and humid.

Who do fallow deers live with?

Adult males of the species live solitarily, whereas the young and females live in herds of their own. Only when the breeding season comes do fewer than six adult males come together, make a herd and join the females.

How long does a fallow deer live?

The average lifespan of a fallow deer living in the wild is 8-16 years. A fallow deer buck attains its full size at between five and nine years of age, while females reach their full size at the age of four to six years.

How do they reproduce?

The mating season of the fallow deer is also known as the rut season. The rut season or breeding season, as many may know it, takes place in October. During this rut or breeding season, the fallow buck becomes territorial. It means that they choose a territory and defend it from the other males in their own herd or from other herds. They visit the rutting stand to mate with the females. After mating, the gestation period is about 33-35 weeks and fawns are born at the end of the period. Female fallow deer gives birth to a single fawn at a time. A fallow deer fawn, similar to the adults in the herd does not roam alone. The fawns live in a small herd of up to 14 fallow deers which consists of females and young. The small herd of males that is formed at the beginning of the mating season is also known as a 'bachelor herd'.

What is their conservation status?

These wild animals are pretty common. The conservation status of the fallow deer comes under the Least Concern category. It is the most common species of deer in England and is even considered a serious pest to commercial forests.

What do fallow deers look like?

The fallow deer is a medium-sized deer, with a mostly brown-colored coat that has white spots on it. The fallow deer's antlers are palmate. However, only the fallow deer stag has antlers. The antlers are shaped like shovels and are quite large. The coat of the deer differs in color. And depending on the fallow deer colors, they are assigned different names as well. The most common, the European fallow deer has a brown coat with white spots and a white-colored tail. Another species of fallow deer has a pale brown colored coat. The coat of the black fallow deer is black or dark brown in color. The fallow deer with a white coat color is also known as the albino fallow deer and not all fallow deers have white spots.

When hunting these deers in Ireland, you will need to have a proper license and it is also illegal to hunt them with the help of dogs. People mostly hunt these wild animals for meat or a fallow deer skull. The meat of these deers is good in taste, but hunters have to be careful in terms of selection. The skulls, on the other hand, are kept as trophies.

How cute are they?

Fallow deers are quite cute. The males have beautiful palmate antlers. And, they are known for their white-colored tails. The young fallow deer or the fawn is also known to be extremely gorgeous. The fawn is mostly cream-colored. They also have dark eyes, which is a prominent feature among species of deer.

How do they communicate?

The animals use different senses such as smells, vocalization, and body language to communicate. For example, a fallow deer buck defends its rutting stand by groaning. A rutting stand is the place where the deers mate.

How big is a fallow deer?

A fallow deer can grow up to 4.3-5.9 ft (1.3-1.8 m) in length, and 3 ft (91.4 cm) tall. They look much smaller when compared to the largest deer in the world, the Alaskan moose. The Alaskan moose is approximately 7 ft (2.1 m) tall when standing.

How fast can a fallow deer run?

They can run at a maximum speed of 29.8 mph (48 kph).

How much does a fallow deer weigh?

The fallow deer size differs between the males and females of the species. While the males weigh between 132.3-220.5 lb (60-100 kg), the females weigh somewhere between 66.1-110.2 lb (30-50 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

A male fallow deer is known as a fallow deer buck, whereas females of the species are known as fallow deer doe.

What would you call a baby fallow deer?

A baby or young of the species is called a fawn.

What do they eat?

Fallow deers are herbivores. Their diet mainly consists of herbs, grass, leaves, fungi, bark, berries, and nuts.

Are they aggressive?

Although the animals are wild in nature, they are certainly not aggressive in nature. However, during the breeding season, the males grow extremely aggressive in order to protect their rutting pads.

Would they make a good pet?

Although they look really adorable, fallow deers cannot be made into good pets. As fawns, they can be tamed and seem pretty manageable, however, as they grow up, they become completely unmanageable.

Did you know...

The males are required to fight with each other, given that the fallow deers are polygynous, which means that the males live and mate with more than one female. Also, these deers congregate only once a year, making them prone to fight each other for mating. Among this species, twins are quite common. However, to date, the birth of a single fawn remains most likely.

When do fallow deers shed their antlers?

The fallow deers shed their antlers during the months of April and May. Regrowth and cleaning of the antlers is complete by August or September. The regrown antlers have the same pattern as the ones that are shed. However, as they grow old and start falling prey to malnutrition the pattern grows different. The chemical signals involved in the process of the regeneration of antlers to date are a mystery. The species get hunted for their beautiful antlers and people keep them as trophies.

Can fallow deers jump?

Fallow deers can jump, but certainly, that's not the sort of sport they enjoy. This is a common trait in most exotic species, but when under pressure or when their lives are in jeopardy, these deer may readily leap over a fence or even higher. The deers can jump up to 5.7-16.4 ft (1.75-5 m) high.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including reindeer, or key deer.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our fallow deer coloring pages.