from the Damhirsch is 2 subtypes or geographical races familiar, the European Damhirsch (Dama dama dama) and the Mesopotamische Damhirsch (Dama dama mesopotamica).
Spread The European Damhirsch lived in wide parts of Europe until the ice age and during the inter-ice ages, among them also countries north from the Alps. With the last ice-venture, this subtype retreated into the Mediterranean-area. How its spread was enough far here, is only insufficiently known.
From the Balkans from, where the Damhirsch still occurred after the ice age, it hiked to Central Europe back. However, most Damhirsche were naturalized again by the human being in Europe. So, the present-day spread-area extends to South-Sweden and South-Norway, England, Poland and Romania. As popular park-game, the Damhirsch was placed also in overseas-countries, Z. B. New Zealand, North America and Chile. In the original spread-area, in the Mediterranean-countries and Asia Minor, the Damhirsch was wiped out largely.
The spread of the Mesopotamischen Damhirsches extended from Palestine over Syria to Persia originally. Today, few animals only live in the borderland between Iran and Iraq in the province Chusistan.
Shape The European Damhirsch reaches 90 cm of body-height and a weight of 120 kg. This stag is easily built over behind. Further characteristics are: long tail, projecting larynx, short head, big, far apart-standing eyes, well developed pre-eye-gland, absence of the upper cuspid. The reddish-brown summer-fur has point-stains an active pattern whiter, on the back-middle, a black eel-line proceeds. The rear-clubs form one of black framed white mirrors, that are divided by the tail black on its upper side in the middle. Damwild is bred in a series of color-mutations, so there are black, white and "porcelain-colored" variations. Calves of the white form were born sallow-brown. The winter-fur is dun without clear Fleckung.
The fully developed antlers has Augsprosse, means-rungs and at the end of the pole a shovel, that backwards directional rungs according to 4 or 5 into a widening of the pole with includes. In May or Junes, the antlers is thrown off.
The Mesopotamische Damhirsch is superior to its relative in height something. its tail is shorter. Flow together the white spot beside the back-middle on both sides of the eel-line to a white strip. In the neck and on the withers, the fur grows especially densely.
The antlers-pole doesn't form any clear Endschaufel, however it is widened in the low third and at the means-rung.
Habitat Light Mischwälder are the preferred habitat of this type in the level and in the low mountain region. However, Damwild is very adaptable. So, a continuance in the dunes of Norderney thrives.
Way of life Despite its tameness in game-parks, Damhirsche are just as shy in the wild as other stags. The good eyesight, caused by size and position of the eyes, shows the Damwild fear early. Smell and hearing are well developed.
Damwild is rather location-loyal. Adult stags (bucks) on the one hand and alto-animals together with calves and low stags on the other hand form outside the combination-time of separated herds, that 20-100 copies can include.
Reproduction The Brunft of the Damwildes connects to those of the red-stags from middle October. Brunftige stags fight together, in that crashes it its shovels, clashes. Low stags are expelled and form bachelor-herds occasionally. The Brunftschrei is a rough coughing or burping. A place-stag gathers approximately 8 female animals about itself.
After a Tragzeit of 230 days, the animal places a calf. Occasionally, it can be also 2 or 3. During the first both life-weeks, the calf is set aside at hidden place and for is looked only to suckling. The Damtier defends its young through hits with the front-runs.
Food Damhirsche are grass and foliage-gluttons. they beknabbern also trees, however they don't prepare such peeling-damages like the red deer.
Rediscovery of the Mesopotamischen Damhirsches This subtype already was regarded as extinct since 1951. in 1955, however, the tidings of a stag-occurrence in the province Khusistan to Europe got. Germanizes zoologist succeeded it in 1957 to track down a small remainder of the Mesopotamischen Damhirsches. In the effort of the conservation and further-breeding, they robbed one stag-pair in the Opelzoo after Kronberg where a breeding was built successfully. Also in the Iran, one is solicitous about the protection and the further-breeding of the Mesopotamischen Damhirsches today, however there are probably only approximately 150 animals here, who live mainly in enclosures. A survival of this subtype in the homestead seems rather uncertain today.
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