Persian fallow deer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Persian fallow deer |
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| In Sultan Za-sruddin National Park | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Dama |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
D. d. mesopotamica
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| Trinomial name | |
| Dama dama mesopotamica (Brooke, 1875)
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The Persian fallow deer is a special type of deer. It's quite rare! Its scientific name is Dama dama mesopotamica. In Persian, people call it gavazn-i zard, and in modern Hebrew, it's Yah-mur. This animal is a ruminant, which means it chews its food twice, like a cow. It belongs to the deer family, called Cervidae. Scientists sometimes disagree if it's a separate type of deer or just a subspecies of the regular fallow deer.
Contents
About the Persian Fallow Deer
The Persian fallow deer is a beautiful mammal. It is known for its unique antlers and spotted coat. These deer are an important part of the ecosystems where they live.
What They Look Like
Persian fallow deer look a lot like other fallow deer. They have a coat that is usually light brown with white spots in summer. These spots can fade in winter. Their belly is white, and they have a white patch on their rump. Males, called bucks, grow large, flat antlers. These antlers can be quite impressive! They shed their antlers each year and grow new ones. Females are called does, and young deer are called fawns.
Where They Live
Historically, Persian fallow deer lived across a wide area. This included the Middle East and parts of North Africa. Today, they are mostly found in Iran and Israel. They prefer living in forests and woodlands. These areas provide them with food and places to hide from predators. They need places with good water sources too.
What They Eat
Like all deer, the Persian fallow deer is a herbivore. This means it eats only plants. Their diet mainly includes grasses, leaves, and shoots. They also eat fruits and berries when they are available. Because they are ruminants, they chew their food, swallow it, and then bring it back up to chew it again. This helps them get all the nutrients from tough plant material.
Why They Are Rare
The Persian fallow deer is listed as an endangered species. This means there are very few of them left in the wild. Their numbers dropped a lot in the 20th century. This was mainly due to habitat loss and hunting. Their natural homes were destroyed as human populations grew. They were once thought to be extinct, but a small group was found in Iran in the 1950s.
Conservation Efforts
Many people are working hard to protect these special deer. Conservation programs have helped increase their numbers. These programs include protecting their habitats. They also involve breeding deer in captivity and then releasing them into safe areas. For example, some deer have been successfully reintroduced into parts of Israel. These efforts give hope for the future of the Persian fallow deer.
Images for kids
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Deer buck
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Persian fallow deer
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Deer buck lying in the grass
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Persian fallow deer in Israel
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See also
In Spanish: Gamo persa para niños
