The sika deer Cervus nippon
The sika deer (also known as the spotted deer) is a large, slender and thin-legged animal with a small head sitting on the slim, almost vertical neck. The body length of the sika deer ranges from 150 to 180 cm, height at the shoulders, from 82 to 112, and weight, from 104 to 130 kilograms. The sika deer has fairly long tail and large mobile ears. The antlers in adult males have up to four branches. In summer, the background colour of the pelage of the sika deer is reddish, with the sides and underside being some paler; greyish-brown colour is typical for the winter coat. The colour of the mid-back of this deer is darker forming a line from the head to the tail. The inner sides of the legs and the erectile rump patch are white, while the coat on the sides is mottled with white, well-defined spots. The sika deer is capable of long fast running, and besides, it is a perfect swimmer and jumper.
The range of the sika deer spreads through eastern coastal areas of Asia and surrounding islands, from Taiwan to Japan. The largest specimens of the sika deer with the height at the shoulders reaching 114 cm range in the East Siberia. In Russia, the sika deer are found in Primorye, but this species was also introduced to many areas of the European part of Russia. It inhabits oak and Korean pine broad-leaved forests preferring slopes with rugged landscapes, dense understory, streams, and water springs. In the areas where the sika deer were reintroduced, they live in deciduous and mixed forests, moving to the pine forests in winter. The sika deer diet includes forest grasses, brushy vegetation, herbs, acorns, leaves and bark of many trees, including oak, willow, and alder. In summer, sika deer forage in dusk and down, while in winter they could be active in the daytime. Sika deer are gregarious animals. In the breeding season that lasts from late October through early November, the males produce loud hoarse roars. Gestation in a female lasts 7.5 months, with the offspring usually being born in May. The female gives birth to a single fawn. Adult males shed their antlers in the late August or early May, and grow new antlers in a month, but the antlers keep growing and shaping till September.
The Vietnamese sika deer (Cervus nippon pseudaxis) have become extinct in the wild and can now be only found in zoos. The last wild individual of the Vietnamese sika deer was killed in 1974.
Dybowski's sika deer (Cervus nippon hortulorum) inhabits Primorsky Krai in the Far East of Russia. This deer is a rare animal and its hunting is fully banned. These deer are bred at special deer farms for antler velvet that is highly valued in traditional medicine.
