The sika deer is native to eastern Asia, it is a sacred animal to the Japanese. It was introduced a hundred years ago in France and elsewhere in Europe. It can live for 15 to 20 years. It is an invasive species, present in very low quantities.
FEATURE:
Males, or deer, weigh up to 80kg in adulthood, and measure 75 to 100cm at the withers. Hinds do not weigh more than 50kg and rarely measure more than 70cm at the withers. You can easily recognize the sika, in summer its dress is glossy hazelnut brown speckled with white. He also has lighter hair on his brow bone, which makes him look sullen! In winter her hair is much darker and takes on a very dark brown shade without spots. Sika deer also have a characteristic of their own, and that is their gluteal "mirror". It is a white area at the rump, surrounded by black. Their tails are also white surrounded by a darker line.
BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION:
The slab takes place from the end of September to the beginning of November. Males give a long, high-pitched whistle that they repeat three times. They often fight to keep their dominant status and thus be able to reproduce with does. The gestation period is 7 months and the hinds will have only one fawn per year, which will therefore be born between May and June. The fawns are weaned after 6 months but before that they remain very careful and are often hidden in the tall grass while their mothers graze away. Thus in case of danger, predators follow fleeing deer and hinds and young fawns are spared. To warn of danger the deer give a sharp and short cry, they also inflate their gluteal "mirror" and flee by making small quick leaps.
FOOD :Sika deer
Sika deer are ruminant herbivores. They feed on grass but also on lichens and fungi, young shoots, leaves, plants, fruits and in winter when food is more difficult to find they also eat tree bark.
SIKA DEER TIMBER:
Sika deer carry antlers which they then lose between February and May. These woods grow gradually while growing each year. A male's age can thus be known from the number of "corns" or "antlers" he has, however they rarely have more than 10 corns.
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