Sika Deer
Cervus nippon
Fia Seapánach
What group of animals do sika deer belong to?
Like sheep, cows and goats, deer are ruminants - herbivores with cloven hooves and a complex stomach for breaking down grasses and other vegetation. Deer are different from other ruminants in that the males have a set of antlers which are regrown every summer, rather than permanent horns on the head.
How do I tell sika deer from other deer?
Sika deer are quite a small species of deer, with males (stags) up to about 80cm at the shoulder. Females (hinds) are slightly smaller. The summer coat is reddish with white spots, turning very dark grey-brown in winter. There is a white rump patch surrounded by black, which is displayed as a warning signal. The antlers form a V-shape when looking head-on.
Are sika deer native to Ireland?
No. Sika deer are originally from Japan—the word ‘sika’ is actually Japanese for deer. They were introduced to Ireland by Lord Powerscourt in 1859, at his estate near Glencree, Co. Wicklow. In the 19th century, many exotic animals were introduced to several countries. Unfortunately, these often cause problems in their new environments. In this case, red & sika deer are closely related, and so they began to interbreed.; The result is that now all the deer in Wicklow are hybrids, a mixture of red and sika deer.
Where do sika deer live?
Sika deer are originally animals of temperate deciduous woodlands. This is also the environment that they were introduced to on the Powerscourt Estate. Since then, however, they have also moved in to areas of coniferous plantation, as they provide shelter and hiding from predators - in this case, mostly human hunters.
Do sika deer live in groups?
Sika deer are quite social animals. Most of the year, hinds live in small herds of related animals, usually less than 10 but sometimes in groups up to 100. They usually stay in a home range of about 50 hectares. Males are more solitary. During the breeding season in October (the rut), the hinds’ home ranges shrink, and males fight over the groups of females for breeding.
What do sika deer eat?
Deer are herbivorous, feeding on plants. The main food of sika deer is grass and sedges on the mountains, along with leaves of trees and shrubs such as holly, heather and bilberry. In hard winters, deer may strip the bark off trees for food, and may also take vegetables and grain crops. Males eat large amounts of coarser plants, while females eat less but are more choosy, taking higher-quality food. The young feed on their mother’s milk until eight months of age.
Do sika deer make noises?
During the breeding season or rut, sika deer make a lot of noise! The sika stag has a special whistling call which can penetrate through thick forest. The call is Sika deer also have a short, barking alarm call to alert other members of the herd to danger.
When are baby sika deer born?
Mating takes place in the rutting season, in October. The hind is pregnant for about 8 months, and the babies, known as calves, are born in late spring to early summer. The calf is reddish-brown with white spots, and spends the first week of its life lying still in long grass, visited by its mother for feeding.
Do sika deer have any predators ?
Humans are now the only predators of deer in Ireland. In the past, wolves used to hunt deer, but the last Irish wolf was shot in Carlow in 1786. Without natural predators to keep the deer population in balance, numbers of deer have grown hugely in the past 200 years - in many areas, there are now more deer than their habitat can support.
Are sika deer protected?
Sika deer are protected under the Wildlife Act, but like all deer are subject to a hunting season. Sika deer can be a serious pest in protected areas and forestry plantations, and a certain amount have to be culled by national park staff, foresters and other land managers. Deer meat, known as venison, can be eaten by humans. For more information about deer hunting in Ireland (rules, seasons & licences), see the Citizens Information website.
