Mammals of the WorldSika Deer
Cervus nippon
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Cervidae
- Genus
- Cervus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Russia|China|North Korea?|Taiwan|Japan|Vietnam
- Realm
- Palearctic
Other names: Spotted Deer|Japanese Deer
About this species
- Range
- East Asia; introduced elsewhere
The sika deer, also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, it was overhunted to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. Protection laws were enacted in the mid-20th century, leading to a rapid recovery of populations from the 1950s to the 1980s (Wikipedia, general species account).
The sika deer is one of the few deer species that does not lose its spots upon reaching maturity. Spot patterns vary with region: the mainland subspecies have larger and more obvious spots, in contrast to the Taiwanese and Japanese subspecies, whose spots are nearly invisible. The coat ranges from mahogany to black, and white individuals are also known. In winter the coat becomes darker and shaggier and the spots less prominent, and a mane forms on the back of the males' necks.
Description: Wildlife of Japan guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)