The Yezo sika deer (''Cervus nippon yesoensis'', , Ainu: ユク ''yuk'') is a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south t ...

that inhabits the northern

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

island of

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

. The Hokkaido sika are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

, although it is not known whether they originated there or migrated from

Honshū , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...

or areas further south. It is thought that they may have traveled across the

Tsugaru Strait The is a strait between Honshu and Hokkaido in northern Japan connecting the Sea of Japan with the Pacific Ocean. It was named after the western part of Aomori Prefecture. The Seikan Tunnel passes under it at its narrowest point 12.1 miles ...

between the islands. Genetic study has shown that the separation of the sika population occurred less than half a million years ago. It is possible that northern sika deer may be more closely related to yezo sika deer than to other sika deer. The indigenous

Ainu people The Ainu are an Indigenous peoples, indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia, including Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Sakhalin, the Ku ...

of Hokkaido have hunted them for centuries and relied on them as a major food source. The Hokkaido sika is one of the largest of the sika species, with mature stags approaching (and sometimes exceeding) 200 kg in the fall. They also sport the largest antlers of the sika, with lengths often over 35 inches (0.89m); the longest recorded specimen had antlers measuring 44 inches (1.12m). By SCI measurement, the Hokkaido sika produces the highest scores, although very few have been listed.

Gallery

File:Ezoshika01.jpg File:C.n.yesoensis(200107).jpg File:エゾジカ.jpg File:Yezo sika deer running away.jpg, A yezo sika deer running away in

Wakkanai file:Wakkanai city office.JPG, 290px, Wakkanai City Hall file:Wakkanai shore.jpg, 290px, Shore of Wakkanai is a Cities of Japan, city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Wakkanai is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. Situated approx ...

city File:Yezo sika deer - kushiro hokkaido - 2021 Dec 9.webm, Yezo sika deer grazing in December near

Kushiro is a city in Kushiro Subprefecture on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Located along the coast of the North Pacific Ocean, it serves as the subprefecture's capital and it is the most populated city in the eastern part of the island. History An ...

, 2021 File:ことりっぱの蝦夷鹿のレバニラ(20200114).jpg, Yezo sika deer liver stir-fried with '' nira''

References

Mammals of Japan Environment of Hokkaido {{eventoedungulate-stub