Dama dama
Fallow Deer at Belconnen, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Dama dama | DonFletcher | 24 Jul 2023 | |
| Cervus elaphus | JaneCarter | 24 Jul 2023 |
Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.
User's notes
My photos are terrible but I could count 17 animals when I used binoculars. This is the most deer I have seen together in this location.
2 comments
24 Jul 2023
Hi Jane, thanks for the record. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are very uncommon or rare now in the ACT and herds of them are never reported. We also have Sambar (Cervus unicolor) but they are large, dark, solitary and almost unbelievably secretive, so this is not Sambar. Most likely these are Fallow Deer (Dama dama) which is a herd forming species that is common and increasing in grassy areas of the ACT. The pale undersides that I think I can see in the photos indicate Fallow. In case you get another look at them, a photo that showed the antlers or the rear end would be diagnostic for any of these three species.
Location information
- Maps Woodstock Nature Reserve
- Places Belconnen, ACT
Sighting information
- 17 Abundance
- JaneCarter Recorded by
Collections
- JaneCarter Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Dama dama Deer Feral hoofed introduced mammals Mammals
Species information
- Dama dama Scientific name
- Fallow Deer Common name
- Sensitive
- Exotic
- Major weed or pest
- Up to 2081m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Additional attributes