A fallow deer looks slender - it is a fallow-hoofed animal naturally endowed with innate grace and excellent agility. It has a muscular body and strong legs. The body length of the European fallow deer ranges from 130 to 180 cm, with a height at the withers of 80 to 100 cm. The animal also has a tail up to 20 cm long and pointed ears. Male fallow deer are significantly larger than females. The average weight of the male ranges from 70 to 100 kg, while females only 40-70 kg. The average life span of a doe is 25 years. European fallow deer look picturesque.
This is especially true of males, as they have very beautiful branching horns. Developed horns of mature male European fallow deer acquire wide shovel-shaped form with ridges along the edges. The older and bigger is the male doe, the bigger and branchier are his horns. Curiously, fallow deer drop their horns and change them for new ones. Old antlers are worn by European fallow deer until mid-spring; in winter they serve as a defense against predators. When old antlers fall off, new ones start growing immediately. In mid-August, reindeer rub their grown antlers against trees to peel off their dying skin. By the end of August, the new antlers are fully developed. Depending on the time of year, the doe looks different because the coloration of the animal changes. In summer, the coloring of the doe's back, sides and tail tip is brown-red with white spots. Its abdomen and legs are light, almost white. In winter the coloration of the animal is somewhat different. Its head, neck and ears become dark-brown, its back and sides are almost black and its abdomen is a light gray tint. Among fallow deer one can meet sometimes entirely white or black. The doe looks very similar to the noble deer, it is especially often compared to it. But a doe differs from a stag in size and body structure, it is smaller and lighter. However, it has a more muscular body and its neck and limbs are shorter than those of the red deer. Also, unlike a deer, a doe changes its color.
Where does a doe live? Features of behavior The doe lives in southwestern Asia and in almost all European countries. The species has also been introduced to Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Peru, North America, South Africa, Chile, Japan, and Madagascar. Today these areas are still home to wild doe populations. The doe is a forest animal and prefers to live in mixed forests with open grassy edges and patches of forest rich in undergrowth and young growth. The European doe lives in scrub thickets, with plenty of grass. The doe adapts to different conditions. From the first months of spring to the end of summer, fallow deer are active, preferably in the morning and evening hours. During this time, they go to watering places and graze in glades in the forest. During daytime fallow deer rest in thick shady bushes. Mainly they rest near bodies of water. In summer, fallow deer live alone or in small groups of up to 10 individuals.
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