Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Sika Deer are native to eastern Asia and have been to the wild in parts of the United States. Adults often keep their white spots, which helps separate them from native White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

Appearance

Appearance: Maryland adults stand about 2.5 ft (0.8 m) at the shoulder. Their summer coat is reddish brown with white spots, while the winter coat becomes dark brown to nearly black; males also develop a shaggy neck mane and narrow, backward-sweeping antlers.
Voice: Sika Deer are unusually vocal. During the fall breeding season, males give a long, multi-pitched bugle; alarmed deer can bark.

Look-alikes

White-tailed DeerOdocoileus virginianus

An adult White-tailed Deer is taller, has larger ears and a longer snout, and usually lacks spots. When alarmed it raises a long white-backed tail; a Sika Deer instead flares a rounded white rump patch.

Why they get mixed upThe two deer live in the same parts of Maryland and both can appear reddish brown in summer.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: coastal marshes
forested wetlands
thick wetland edges
Range: Sika Deer are native to eastern Asia. Introduced U.S. populations occur in places including Texas, Virginia, and Maryland, where they are concentrated on the lower Eastern Shore and Assateague Island.
Preferred conditions: In Maryland they favor marshes and thick forested wetlands, while feeding in marsh vegetation, grasses, and nearby farm fields.
Seasons: In Maryland
Breeding Sep–Oct

Behavior

Diet: They browse marsh plants, grasses, bayberry, catbrier, poison ivy, and crops such as corn and soybeans.
Activity: They feed mainly from dusk through dawn and are strong swimmers in wetland habitat.
Social life: Females stay in small family groups with young, while adult males are often solitary in fall and winter and form groups of males in late spring and summer.

Life cycle

Breeding season: In Maryland, breeding begins around late September.
Gestation: Pregnancy lasts about 30 weeks.
Litter size: A female almost always gives birth to one calf, usually in May.
Time to maturity: They generally can breed at about 16 months.

Name and classification

About the name: The introduced population in Maryland belongs to the Yakushima (Cervus nippon yakushimae).

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Status: Some native mainland populations and subspecies have declined sharply.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Maryland's population began with releases on the Eastern Shore in the early 1900s.
U.S. populations are managed locally. Maryland manages Sika Deer as a game mammal, separately from native White-tailed Deer.

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