The Formosan sika deer () (''Cervus nippon taiouanus'') is a subspecies of
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 to ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found elsew ...
to the island of
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Formosan sika, like most of the terrestrial fauna and flora of Taiwan, arrived on the island during
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
glacial periods when lower sea levels connected Taiwan to the Asian mainland.
Appearance and behavior
Sika stand 90–120 cm at the shoulder, 155 cm in length, 43 - 68 kg in weight. Males are larger and bear deciduous
antlers
Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally found only on male ...
. The summer coat is light brownish, with obvious white spots, while in winter their coat is darker and the spots fade.
Range and habitat
The natural distribution of sika on Taiwan was in the woodlands from sea level up to about 300 meters elevation. Sika, like many deer, prefer areas of mixed forest, scrub, and open land. Under natural conditions the low-lying alluvial plain that stretches from present-day Taipei along the west coast almost to the southern tip of the island were prime deer habitat and natural populations would have been quite dense.
Status
Sika populations in Taiwan have been heavily influenced by human activity for the past four hundred years. Until the early 17th century the human population of Taiwan was low and comprised mostly
Austronesian peoples
The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar that speak Austro ...
who had been living on the island for thousands of years. During the 17th century immigration from the Chinese mainland increased dramatically in response to political instability in China and economic opportunities on Taiwan, which from 1624 until 1662 was controlled by the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
(VOC). The VOC, operating from the port of Taoyuan (modern-day
Anping,
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
) in southwestern Taiwan, established a trading post whose main business was the export of sika skins to neighboring Asia. During the six decades of Dutch activity two to four million sika skins were exported to China and Japan.
[江樹生。 1985。梅花鹿與台灣早期歷史關係之研究, 第3–62頁。台灣梅花鹿復育之研究七十四年度報告。內政部營建署墾丁國家公園管理處] Exporting was reduced when the Dutch were forced out of Taiwan in 1662, but continued throughout the Qing period with a switch to Japan as the major export market.
[The Plight of the Formosan Sika]
wildatheart.org.tw
The intensive hunting of sika during the Dutch era must have severely decreased the population of sika. Sika populations continued to decline over the next few centuries as the human population expanded—the natural habitat of sika in the lowland plains was steadily converted to farmland, and later urbanized, as the human population increased. Hunting also continued. As a result, wild sika populations decreased steadily, and in 1969 the last known wild sika was killed.
[McCullough, D. R. 1974. ''Status of Larger Mammals in Taiwan''. Taipei: Tourism Bureau]
However, deer are easily kept in captivity and there were a number of captive populations of ''C. n. taiouanus''. In 1984 Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture funded the Sika Deer Reintroduction Project, based at
Kenting National Park
Kenting National Park (), commonly known as Kenting (), is a national park located on the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng, and Manzhou Townships. Established on 1 January 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest a ...
on the southern tip of the island. Twenty-two deer were transferred from the
Taipei Zoo
The Taipei Zoo, sometimes referred to as the "Muzha Zoo", is a public zoo, zoological garden in Wenshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is the most famous zoological garden in Taiwan and a leader in conservation biology, conservation, research and ...
to serve as a founder population. Over the next 10 years the deer were maintained in enclosures until their eventual release into the National Park in 1994. Altogether over 200 deer have been released and the current population, now spread beyond the park borders, is estimated to exceed 1000 individuals. Discussions regarding other possible reintroduction sites, including
Yangmingshan National Park
Yangmingshan National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan, located in both Taipei and New Taipei City. The districts that are partially in the park include Taipei's Beitou and Shilin Districts; and New Taipei's Wanli, Jinshan, ...
near
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
, are ongoing.
Daqiu Island
Daqiu Island (Ta Chiu/Tachiu) (; Foochow Romanized: Duâi-kiŭ-dō̤) is an island in the East China Sea, part of Beigan Township, Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan). The island has been uninhabite ...
,
Beigan Township
Beigan Township (; Foochow Romanized: Báe̤k-găng-hiŏng), is an insular Township (Taiwan), rural township in Matsu Islands, Lienchiang County (the Matsu Islands), Taiwan (ROC). The township is in the East China Sea off the coast of Fujian Pro ...
,
Lienchiang County
The Matsu Islands ( or , ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤), officially Lienchiang County (, ; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China ( ...
(the Matsu Islands) is known for its population of Formosan sika deer introduced in the 1990s.
See also
*
List of endemic species of Taiwan
The endemic species of Taiwan are organisms that are endemic to the island of Taiwan— that is, they occur nowhere else on Earth.
Percentages of endemic animals of all living species in Taiwan.
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Percentages of endemic plants of all livi ...
References
External links
Formosan sika on Youtube, English versionFormosan sika on Youtube, Mandarin version
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3847157
Cervus
Mammals of Taiwan