WL 36

WILDLIFE information on the environment / eolas ar an gcomhshaol

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Deer in Ireland There are 40 known daytime. Regular paths/trails The native red deer is Ireland’s found worldwide, three of which through undergrowth are often largest land . The can be found in Ireland. Deer visible. Stags will thrash and fray earliest record of red deer in evolved about 23 million years tree branches and bole score Ireland is 26,000 years ago, and it ago. They belong to a group ( gouging) tree trunks. is believed that the red deer (order) called artiodactyls (even- Sometimes shed may be inhabiting the Killarney Valley toed). Deer are herbivorous found and small and are the closest living population hoofed . deer will eat these, as they are a to the post-glacial native Irish red good source of calcium during deer. The rest of the red deer in the winter months. Ireland were introduced in the Habitat and Diet 1800-1900s from Scotland, England and France. Males are All deer generally feed early in known as stags, females as hinds, the morning and late evening Vocalisations and offspring as calves. and rest during the day. Red and Usually both sexes of all deer are fallow deer are primarily grazers silent, with the exception of During the summer months, the (various grasses), but will alarm and rutting (mating) calls. coat is a deep chestnut-red supplement their diet with The rutting calls of the males are colour, whereas in winter the leaves of various trees, acorns, very different. Red stags emit an coat dulls to a brown. The fruits, mushrooms and impressive roar, which can be underbelly is a cream colour and agricultural crops. are repeated several times and may faint beige spots may be seen intermediate (grazers and be heard some distance away. along the flanks. The rump patch browsers) and opportunistic Sika stag calls can be very loud is a creamy-beige colour and feeders. All deer are associated with piercing whistles and extends onto the back of the with woodlands of various types, squeaks. Fallow bucks emit a deer, above a very short tail. Only open hill areas and pastures. groaning sound – like a deep the males have antlers, which are ‘belch’ that is repeated frequently. Droppings The droppings of red deer are black-brown in colour, about 2cm European red deer ( long. Fallow deer droppings are elaphus) about 1.5cm long and black in Red deer colour. Droppings of sika deer are black and small - less than 1.5cm. Adult stags ~220kg, shoulder (Goat and sheep droppings are height ~1.5m similar; but are about 1cm in Adult hinds ~140kg, shoulder length with flattened ends). height ~1m Newborn calf ~6-9kg Signs Life span up to 15 years Flattened areas of vegetation As Gaeilge – Fia rua may be found where deer would have been lying up during the Red Stag during the rut

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U-shaped when viewed head-on. European fallow deer during October and November, Antlers are shed between March ( dama dama) where bucks will engage in fights and April annually and new and they become more vocal. growth on the next set begins Fallow deer After a pregnancy of 7.5 to 8 immediately. The rut begins in Adult bucks 80-110kg, shoulder months, a single fawn is born late September and lasts until height ~1m during the month of June. The November. During the rut, the fawns are born with a spotty coat. stags become very vocal and Adult does 40-55kg, shoulder The mother returns every few emit characteristic deep roars. height ~85cm hours during the day and night to They also become very aggressive Newborn calf ~3-5kg feed it. Fawns are weaned and fights between males are between 7 and 9 months of age. quite frequent. The hinds deliver Life span up to 18 years a single calf after a pregnancy of As Gaeilge – Fia bui. Key Identification features for 7.5 to 8 months. The calf is born Fallow deer between mid-May and early June. It is born with a spotty coat, Medium sized deer which remains until about 2 months of age, acting as a Prominent ‘Adam’s apple’ camouflage against predators Has brush on penile sheath (e.g. fox). The mother will return to feed it every 2-3 hours. Calves Has a very long tail are weaned between the ages of Buck has broad flattened antlers 5 and 10 months. The calves stay (palmate) with their mothers until approximately 2 years of age. Rump patch is white, black bordered & heart-shaped Tracks: long pair of slippers, 7cm Key Identification features for long & 4cm wide Red deer Largest Irish land mammal Fallow Buck during rut, just Very short tail after thrashing long grass Red-brown coat with cream with antlers underbelly Cream rump patch, extends onto A medium sized deer, non-native back to Ireland. The introduced fallow deer to Ireland U-shaped, multi-pointed complex in 1244 from England to Glencree antlers in County Wicklow. Males are Tracks: shaped like pair of known as bucks, females as does, slippers, 8cm long and offspring as fawns. There are several different coat Fallow Deer Track colours in fallow deer, they do not 7cm long x 4cm wide make them different species; the (shape = a pair of long slippers) different colours are like our hair colour. The summer coat colours (glossy black, chestnut browns, ginger browns) are very vibrant Japanese sika deer (Cervus and may/may not have white nippon nippon) spots. During the winter months As Gaeilge – Fia Seapánach the grow a thicker shaggy duller version. The rump Japanese sika deer patch is a clear white colour, Adult stags 50-60kg, shoulder surrounded by a black edge. The height ~80cm tail is very long. The antlers in fallow bucks are palmate. The Adult hinds ~35kg, shoulder Red Deer Track - 8cm long bucks only carry antlers. Antlers height 65-70cm are shed each spring (March to (shape = a pair of slippers) Newborn calf ~2-3kg April) and the new set begins to grow immediately.The rut occurs Life span up to ~18 years INFORMATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT / EOLAS AR AN GCOMHSHAOL

hours. Calves are weaned Economic factors and between 6 and 8 months of age. Conservation issues All deer can be a threat to Key Identification features for woodlands (native and non- Sika deer native) due to their feeding habits, which can prevent Smallest Irish deer regeneration when deer Rump patch is white, black populations are too dense. They bordered & heart shaped may cause damage in plantation forests by uprooting newly Black back stripe from head to planted trees, browsing shoots tail and buds of young trees and bole scoring. They can strip bark from Tail is medium (intermediate the trunk and branches of older between red and fallow deer) trees. Foresters should leave open V-shaped simple antlers (6-8 spaces within a plantation Sika Deer during rut. points) scheme, as this would encourage deer to feed on these patches Ireland’s smallest non-native Tracks: large and splayed, 8cm instead. deer species. Lord Powerscourt long & 6cm wide introduced Japanese sika deer to Hybridisation between red and Ireland in 1860 to his estate in sika deer poses a threat to both County Wicklow. These deer species, as well as between originated from the Japanese escapees from deer farms. In island of Kyushu. Some of these County Wicklow, there has been hybridised with red deer and extensive hybridisation between then escaped or were released sika deer and red deer, and all into the Wicklow hills where they deer in this area are considered flourished. to be hybrids. Males are called stags, females Deer will occasionally browse are hinds, and offspring are and damage agricultural crops. calves. Farmers should consider planting a ‘sacrificial’ stand of fodder The summer coat is a light- Sika Deer Track crops to encourage deer away reddish brown colour with 8cm long x 6cm wide from the main crops. Six to eight faint/clearly visible spots along (raised edges) foot fencing may be erected to the flanks. The belly is a light exclude deer, but well grey or beige colour. In contrast, maintained traditional hedge the winter coat is a dark grey- If you find a fawn/calf, please do and ditch systems are equally brown with no spots, with a not pick it up or touch it. They suffice. Additionally, farmers greyish belly. In both coats, a are not abandoned. Their should consider leaving the top distinctive black dorsal (back) mothers are often not far away strand of barbed wire off fencing stripe is clearly seen extending and will return to feed it when where there are known deer from the head to the tail. The no humans are around. Deer trails, as this allows younger deer rump patch in both coats is have a strong sense of smell, and to jump the fence as deer may be bright white, heart-shaped and can smell the human scent off a passing through to access water bordered by a black edge. Antlers fawn/calf if it has been touched sources are only carried by the stags, and and may reject it. are V-shaped in outline when viewed head-on. They are shed The deer distributions maps are provided courtesy of The Irish Protection & Deer annually, in April, and new Management growth begins immediately. Deer Society. Stags hold territories and defend All deer are protected under the their areas during the rut Wildlife Acts 1976, 2000 in (September to October), with Ireland. In the absence of natural fights occurring. After 7 to 7.5 predators, e.g. the wolf, since months, the hind will give birth wolves were persecuted to to a single calf. The coat of the extinction during the 18th calf is white-spotted deep Century, it is necessary that deer chestnut colour. Its mother will numbers be managed to protect return to feed it every couple of

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habitats and to ensure the Suggested further reading welfare of deer by protecting them from starvation due to Rooney, S. and Hayden, T.J. (2002). overgrazing. Thus, they are Forest mammals – Management humanely culled at certain times and Control. COFORD, Dublin, of the year, under licence by Ireland. National Parks and Wildlife Hayden, T. and Harrington, R. Service (Department of (2000). Exploring Irish Mammals. Environment, Heritage and Local Town House and Country House Government). Approximately Ltd., Dublin, Ireland. 4,500 wild sika deer or sika- hybrids, 2500 wild fallow deer, Geist, V. (1999). Deer of the world: 500 red deer and 400 red-like their evolution, behaviour and hybrids are legally shot and ecology. Swan Hill Press, UK. reported annually. Due to the Fairley, J.S. (1975). An Irish Beast special native status of the red Book. Blackstaff Press, Belfast, UK. deer in County Kerry, hunting of red deer is absolutely prohibited Lawrence, M.J. and Brown, R.W. in Kerry, unless under direct (1967). Mammals of Britain: their permission of the Minister. If you tracks, trails and signs. Blandford find an injured deer, please Press, London, UK. report it to your nearest Wildlife Ranger (NPWS) or Garda station. Web links of interest Irish Deer Society www.theirishdeersociety.com Northern Irish Mammals, Amphibians and Reptiles www.habitas.org.uk/nimars British Deer Society www.bds.org.uk The Deer Initiative www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk The Mammal Society www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal Countryside Ireland www.countryside.ireland.com

Wild deer Ireland Issued by: www.wilddeerireland.com ENFO – The Environmental Information Service, 17 St Andrew Street, Content and drawings prepared Dublin 2, Ireland. by Ruth Carden (zoologist). Tel: (01) 8883910 Locall: 1890 200191 Fax: (01) 888 3946 e-mail: [email protected] www.enfo.ie Write to or visit our Centre at the above address or you may check out the ENFO information stands at your Local Authority Office / County Library

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