Fallow Deer Dama dama

There are six species of wild deer in the British Isles. Chinese Water Deer Fallow Deer Muntjac Roe Deer Red Deer Sika Deer Teachers notes: There are six species of deer living freely in the British countryside. Each species has specific characteristics which make it well-suited for the variety of habitats found across the country and highly adaptable to environmental changes. A mixture of native and introduced species, they make a valuable contribution to Britain’s biodiversity and are some of our most engaging British mammals.

All About Fallow Deer Teachers notes: Fallow deer are currently on the increase in Britain. Large herds can be found throughout the country but especially in England.

All About Fallow Deer Have you ever seen me? You may have seen me in a park or at an historic house. Teachers notes: The Fallow deer is common in Britain but is not truly native. It is generally accepted that the Normans were responsible for the main introductions of Fallow deer in the 10th century, although it is considered possible that they were introduced much earlier by the Romans. Fallow deer became the favoured deer for hunting and deer parks and Royal hunting forests were created purely to keep them for food and sport. The populations in the wild today stem from these original locations.

What do I look like? A Fallow Deer has a spotted coat, a long tail and large hand shaped or palmate antlers. Teachers notes: Fallow deer are social animals choosing to live in single sex or mixed groups. Groups often come together to form large temporary herds in agricultural areas.

What do I look like? A Fallow deer has a white bottom edged with black with a long tail with a black band down the middle. Teachers notes: Fallow deer often have a distinctive black inverted horseshoe shape on their rumps, and a black stripe on their tails which are the longest of all British deer.

What do I look like? You may see me in a variety of colours in herds kept on country estates or at an historic house or even in the wild. Teacher notes: : Fallow deer have four main variations of coat: Common – tan/fawn, with white spotting on flanks and white rump patch outlined with black horseshoe shaped border. Coat fades to a general grey colour during the winter Menil – paler colouration with white spots year-round and a caramel horseshoe shape on rump Melanistic – black, almost entirely black or chocolate coloured White – white to pale sandy-coloured turning increasingly white with age (this is a true colour and not albino). Its quite common to see me in white! Look me up at www.bds.org.uk to see what other colours I can be.

What do I look like? A male (boy) Fallow deer is called a Buck. What do you see on top of the stag’s head? Teacher notes: Fallow deer are a medium to large sized deer. Fully grown males (bucks) stand at around 0.84 to 0.94m tall at the shoulder and weigh between 46 to 93kg. By comparison, an average adult man in Britain is 1.77m high and weighs 79kg.

What do I look like? ANTLERS Antlers are made of bone and deer grow a new set of antlers each year. Teacher notes: The Fallow deer is the only species in Britain with palmate antlers. These become full sized after the deer are three/four years old and can reach up to 0.7m in length. Facially, their head is more elongated than some species with large angular ears.

What do I look like? The Buck’s antlers fall off or are cast each April and May. The new set start to grow very soon and are called ‘in velvet’. Teachers notes: Does and their young give short barks when alarmed. Bucks groan loudly during the breeding season.

A female (girl) Fallow deer is called a Doe. Does a doe have antlers? What do I look like? A female (girl) Fallow deer is called a Doe. Does a doe have antlers? Teacher notes: Fully grown females (does) are 0.73 to 0.91m at the shoulder and weigh between 35 to 56kg.

How many does are in the picture? What do I look like? How many does are in the picture?

How many does are in the picture? 2 What do I look like? How many does are in the picture? 2

What do I look like? A baby Fallow deer is called a Fawn. Young are normally born in June or July. Teacher notes: Fallow deer usually produce a single offspring (a fawn) in June or July. They have a gestation period of around eight months. The Fallow mating season occurs in October/November.

Where do you think I like to live? Teacher Notes: Fallow deer are mainly found in broadleaved woodland with thick low-level vegetation. However they also increasingly favour open coniferous woodlands and agricultural land.

Lifestyle facts. I am a herbivore eating grass and leaves. In Autumn and Winter I like to eat acorns and chestnuts. I quite like some farmers crops and sometimes I get a bad reputation because I eat and trample the crops. Teacher notes: Feeding Fallow deer are grazers rather than browsers and not especially selective in their choice of food. Grasses are the main component of their diet although they do take woody plants in autumn and winter when nutrition in the grass is low. View video of fallow rut at https://www.bds.org.uk/index.php/advice-education/watching-deer/the-deer-rut

Lifestyle facts. Fallow deer tracks are on average 90 mm. They are slightly smaller than a red deer, but about the same as a sika deer. Teachers notes: Fallow deer leave large hoof prints (slots), about 6cm long in soft ground. Their feet are more elongated than Roe deer and are heavier, creating deeper prints.

Acknowledgements Thank you to everyone who assisted with this project, in particular: Suzie Moore, Education Development Officer, New Forest Centre George Trebinski, Wildlife Photographer and all other photographers The BDS Education Committee Dorothy Ireland, Charles Smith Jones, Sarah Stride, and John Johnson Contributors to the British Deer Society Image Library Anne Bellerby, Jo Mahler, Campbell McInnes, Simon Crook, Tony Charlton, Bob Holmes, Glyn Ingram  

www.bds.org.uk 01425 655434 Championing the future for British deer The Walled Garden, Burgate Manor, Fordingbridge, Hampshire, SP6 1EF