The sika deer, Cervus nippon, also called the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. It was previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, was overhunted to the brink of extinction in the nineteenth century, and recovered rapidly from the 1950s to the 1980s after protection laws were passed. The English name comes from the Japanese shika, meaning deer, and the Chinese name means plum blossom deer, for the white spots on its back. It belongs to the genus Cervus with the red deer and the wapiti, and it can crossbreed with them, which threatens the gene pool of native red deer in the Scottish Highlands.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) ThreatsBiological Resource Use 2 Relationship to People Relationship to PeopleAgricultural or Structural Pest 1 Relationship to PeopleUsed in Traditional Medicine 1 Living or Extinct Conservation Status Body Size Band Activity Pattern Comparison
NatureServe Rank CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Cervus nippon (Animal Diversity Web)
In Ecosystem
Source Sika deer (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Sika deer (Wikipedia)Lead, range (east-asia)Quote, Lead, range (east-asia)
native to much of East Asia
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Sika deer (Wikipedia)Lead, range (the-russian-far-east)Quote, Lead, range (the-russian-far-east)
from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Sika deer (Wikipedia)Lead, range (vietnam)Quote, Lead, range (vietnam)
from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Cervus nippon (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyPrimary Diet
Primary Diet herbivore herbivore
Key Behaviors
nocturnal nocturnal
Conservation Status, CITES
CITES No special status
Habitat, Terrestrial Biomes
Terrestrial Biomes savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
Lifespan/Longevity, captivity
Average lifespan Status: captivity 26.3 years
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Sika deer are valued in China for their antlers, which are used in traditional medicine.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive, relationship to people
They are also an important food and game animal.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
sika deer have undoubtedly caused some problems for farmers of these crops
View the Source 2. Sika deer (Wikipedia)
Lead, range (east-asia)
native to much of East Asia
Lead, range (vietnam)
from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north
Lead, range (the-russian-far-east)
from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north
Lead
is a species of deer native to much of East Asia
Conservation
thousands of years of hunting and habitat loss have reduced the population to less than 1,000
Child Taxon Of: Cervidae, Lead, family placement
is a species of deer native to much of East Asia
In Group: Even-Toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), Lead, group placement
is a species of deer native to much of East Asia
In Ecosystem: Forest, Habitat
Sika deer are found in the temperate and subtropical forests of eastern Asia
View the Source3. NatureServe Explorer: Cervus nippon (NatureServe Explorer)
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal conservation status rank, species recordQuote, Global conservation status rank, species record
"roundedGRank": "G4"
4. GBIF: Cervus nippon
GBIFDistributions, IUCN Red List threat statusQuote, Distributions, IUCN Red List threat status
threatStatus: LEAST_CONCERN
5. Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 mammal diet data
Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)Row: cervus nippon, BodyMass-Value 53000 g (53.0 kg); band set by mass: medium from 1.2 kg to under 32 kg, large from 32 kg to under 1000 kgQuote, Row: cervus nippon, BodyMass-Value 53000 g (53.0 kg); band set by mass: medium from 1.2 kg to under 32 kg, large from 32 kg to under 1000 kg
5308 Cervus nippon Cervidae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 Ref_1 ABC G A 1 1 0 Ref_1 ABC 53000 Ref_117 1
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