# Fallow Deer (*Dama dama*) Fallow deer are gentle animals with beautiful spotted coats. They love to roam in groups and are often seen in parks and forests. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests and grasslands - **Also known as:** Dama Deer, Dama dama ![Fallow Deer](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425864/objects/4490.jpg) ## Appearance The Fallow Deer has a beautiful coat, usually reddish-brown with white spots in summer, fading to a plainer grey-brown in winter, and a white belly. Males grow large, broad, shovel-shaped antlers that are shed annually. They have a distinctive long tail with a black tip. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Cervidae - **Genus:** Dama ## Interesting facts - Ancient Romans brought these deer to many new countries long ago! - Fallow Deer have a unique long, black-tipped tail that wags when excited! - Fallow deer antlers flatten out, like the palm of a hand. So unique! - Male Fallow Deer 'groan' loudly in autumn to attract mates! Wow! ## Special abilities - **Spotty Shield:** Fallow Deer have a spotted coat that helps them blend perfectly into dappled forest sunlight, making them very hard for predators to see. - **Antler Power:** Male Fallow Deer grow impressive, broad antlers used for sparring with other males during the mating season to win over females. - **Fleet-footed Escape:** Fallow Deer can run fast and leap over obstacles, giving them a quick way to escape danger from hungry predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 130-190 cm - **Weight:** 30-100 kg - **Lifespan:** 12-16 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 220-240 days ## Diet & Feeding These herbivores love to munch on plants, leaves, and grasses found in their forest homes. - **Primary Foods:** Grasses, Leaves, Shoots, Bark, Acorns, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Grazing ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Grey Wolf (*Canis lupus*) — Wolves sometimes hunt Fallow Deer for food. - **Eaten by:** Eurasian Lynx (*Lynx lynx*) — Lynx are stealthy predators that prey on deer. - **Eats:** [Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Fallow deer frequently browse on oak leaves and acorns. - **Eats:** [Beech](https://www.snappit.app/explore/beech) (*Fagus sylvatica*) — They also consume leaves and nuts from beech trees. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Antlered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/antlered): Antlered describes animals possessing antlers, which are bony, branching growths found predominantly on male deer and related species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Fallow deer are shy and usually avoid people. It's best to watch them from a distance and not to approach them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Fallow Deer? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Fallow Deer? 130-190 cm ### How much does Fallow Deer weigh? 30-100 kg ### How long does Fallow Deer live? 12-16 years ### How fast can Fallow Deer move? 50 km/h ### What does Fallow Deer eat? These herbivores love to munch on plants, leaves, and grasses found in their forest homes. ### Where is Fallow Deer usually found? Forests and grasslands ### How does Fallow Deer hunt? Grazing ## Where to spot - [Southwick's Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/southwicks-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Sierra Safari Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sierra-safari-zoo) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [Lesní koutek Ralsko - Mini ZOO](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lesn-koutek-ralsko-mini-zoo) — Liberec Region, CZ · Zoo - [Skandinavisk Dyrepark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/skandinavisk-dyrepark) — Central Denmark Region, DK · Zoo - [Wildpark Bruderhaus](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildpark-bruderhaus) — Zurich, CH · Zoo - [Wildpark Völklingen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wildpark-v-lklingen) — Saarland, DE · Zoo [View all places to see Fallow Deer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/fallow-deer) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Fallow Deer: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fallow-deer)