Cervus nippon

Sika deer (Domesticated)(Cervus nippon)

Phylumchordata
Class — mammalia
Order — artiodactyla
Family — cervidae

Genus – cervus

Appearance

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 color of the pelage ranges from mahogany to black, and white individuals are also known. During winter, the coat becomes darker and shaggier and the spots less prominent, and a mane forms on the back of the males' necks.

They are medium-sized herbivores, though they show notable size variation across their several subspecies and considerable sexual dimorphism, with males invariably much larger than females. They can vary from 50 to 110 cm (20 to 43 in) tall at the shoulder and from 95 to 180 cm (37 to 71 in) in head-and-body length. The tail measures about 7.5–13 cm (3.0–5.1 in) long.

Sika stags have stout, upright antlers with an extra buttress up from the brow tine and a very thick wall. A forward-facing intermediate tine breaks the line to the top, which is usually forked. Occasionally, sika antlers develop some palmation (flat areas). Females carry a pair of distinctive black bumps on the forehead. Antlers can range from 28 to 45 cm (11 to 18 in) to more than 80 cm (30 in), depending on the subspecies. Stags also have distinctive manes during their mating period (rut).

Habitat

Sika deer are natives of Eastern Asia and Japan, and have also been introduced to other regions of the world, including Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and Philippines.

Behavior

Primarily crepuscular or nocturnal, sika deer sometimes forage during the day, either singly or in small groups. In addition, these deer are not especially gregarious. Adult males remain solitary most of the year though they sometimes group together, while females with their fawns form groups of 2 or 3 only during the birthing season. Males mark their territorial boundaries by digging holes using their forefeet and antlers. When territorial disputes between males occur, hooves and antlers are used as the main weapons. Sika deer are excellent swimmers and will readily enter the water in order to escape from predators or for other reasons.

Diet

Sika deer is herbivores and can eat any of the following: trees, fallen leaves, marsh grasses, brushy vegetation, herbs, fungi, ground ferns, bamboo, poison ivy, corn and soy beans.

Reproduction

Sika deer are polygynous and a male can successfully gather up to 12 females within his territory during the mating season, which is in autumn (September and October). A single fawn is born in May or June following a gestation period of about 30 weeks. When a fawn is born, the mother hides her baby in thick undergrowth. The fawn stays very quiet and still while it waits for the mother to return. Surprisingly, fawns have almost no smell, and even hunting dogs cannot detect their scent. When fawns are a few weeks old they venture out to play with the other fawns. Newborn are nursed up to 10 months with increasingly fatty milk. The mother cares for her fawn for as long as a year after birth. Fawns reach sexual maturity at the age of 16-18 months.

The average lifespan is 15 to 18 years in captivity, although one case is recorded as living 25 years and 5 months.

In captivity

To keep sika deer, you will need a specially fenced enclosure with a wooden house, inside which you can place water drinkers and feed containers. Drinkers and feeders should be stable and easy to disinfect, and a manger for hay should be made from tree branches.

Breeding sika deer will not be difficult, since their diet is quite simple. Animals eat grass, leaves and shrub shoots, fallen acorns, nuts, mushrooms and berries, bark and fruit of trees. Deer can be fed with hay, silage, root crops, and mixtures of cereals and legumes.

 

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