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Dama dama (Fallow Deer / Alageyik)

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Dama dama (Fallow Deer / Alageyik)


Dama dama (Fallow Deer / Alageyik) [Buck / Erkek] from Richmond, London / Londra, UK / Birleşik Krallık - 19.11.2010.

The Fallow Deer is an Eurasian deer that was a native to most of Europe during the last Interglacial. In the Holocene, the distribution was restricted to the Middle East and possibly also parts of the Mediterranean region, while further southeast in western Asia was the home of a close relative, the Persian Fallow Deer (Dama mesopotamica), that is bigger and has larger antlers.   In its Turkish native range this species is under serious threat.  The male is known as a buck, the female is a doe, and the young a fawn. Adult bucks are 140–160 cm long and 90–100 cm shoulder height, and 60–85 kg in weight; does are 130–150 cm long and 75–85 cm shoulder height, and 30–50 kg in weight. Fawns are born in spring at about 30 cm and weigh around 4.5 kg. The life span is around 12–16 years. All of the Fallow deer have white spots on their backs, and black tips at the ends of their tails.

The species has great variations in the colour of their coats, with four main variants, "common", "menil", "melanistic" and "white" - a genuine colour variety, not albinistic. The common coat variation has a brown coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in the winter. The white is the lightest colored, almost white; common and menil are darker, and melanistic is very dark, sometimes even black (easily confused with the Sika Deer). Most herds consist of the common coat variation, yet it is not rare to see animals of the menil, melanistic and white coat variations as well.

Only bucks have antlers, which are broad and shovel-shaped. They are grazing animals; their preferred habitat is mixed woodland and open grassland. During the rut bucks will spread out and females move between them, at this time of year fallow deer are relatively ungrouped compared to the rest of the year when they try to stay together in groups of up to 150.

This species inhabits mature deciduous and mixed woodland with dense undergrowth. It also occurs in marshes, meadows, and mature conifer plantations.  Like many species of deer, the fallow deer is active throughout the 24-hour period, but in areas where human disturbance is high, they tend to be more active at night. They typically graze on grasses and rushes, but may also browse on young leaves, and also take cereals, berries and acorns. For most of the year, males and females occur in separate single-sex groups, and large herds can aggregate in open areas where there is plenty of food. The breeding season, or 'rut' occurs between October and November; Males hold 'rutting stands' to defend groups of females. Rutting behaviour involves displaying, including groaning contests and parallel walks, escalating to physical contests in which the males lock antlers and push each other. One calf is usually produced during June or July.

References: 1. WiKiPeDia, 2. ARKive , 3. IUCN Red List & 4. Budak, A., Göçmen, B., Mermer, A. & Kaya, U (2002).  Omurgalılar Sistematiği. Ege Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesi Kitaplar Serisi, No. 181, Ege Üniversitesi Basımevi, Bornova-İzmir, 268 s. (ISBN 975-483-549-7).


Author Bayram GÖÇMEN
Created on Friday 19 November 2010
Posted on Thursday 03 February 2011
Tags London / Londra, UK / BİRLEŞİK KRALLIK
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