The Yezo sika deer (''Cervus nippon yesoensis'', ja, エゾシカ / 蝦夷鹿, yezoshika, link=no, Ainu: ユク ''yuk'') is one of the many

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

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 ...

. The sika that inhabit the island of

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

are indigenous, although it is not known whether they originated there or migrated from the main island of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is thought that they may have traveled across the strait 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 the indigenous people of the lands surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, including Hokkaido Island, Northeast Honshu Island, Sakhalin Island, the Kuril Islands, the Kamchatka Peninsula and Khabarovsk Krai, before the arrival of the Y ...

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 large stags approaching and sometimes exceeding 200 kg in the fall. They also sport the largest antlers with lengths often over 35 inches with the longest recorded specimen being 44 inches. By SCI measurement the Hokkaido sika produces the highest scores, although very few have been listed.

References

Mammals of Asia {{eventoedungulate-stub