Mammals

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Sika

  • Cervus nippon
  • Sika_1
    Sika deer stag (photo © John Phillips)
Category: Ungulates (Deer, boar etc)
  • Identification:

    Sika along with red deer are the largest deer in the UK and are often confused with each other, since they are very similar in size and colouration. Especially in summer, red deer have no spots on their backs, which is unlike all other British deer including sika. Both red and sika deer have branched antlers; sika deer usually have a maximum of eight points and red deer up to 16 points. In red deer the angle between the brow tine (first point) and the main beam (main shaft of the antler) is always more than 90º. The tail of a sika deer is white with a dark stripe, compared with plain yellow-brown in the red deer.
  • Head and body length: 1.4-1.8m
  • Shoulder height : 50-120cm
  • Tail length: 14-21cm
  • Weight: ♂ 40-63 kg ♀ 31-44 kg
  • Distribution Map: Sika distribution in Kent Source: 2002–2012 Kent Mammal Atlas. These maps are provided for reference and do not include more recent recording updates

Field signs

Searching for sika field signs when the deer are at low density is very difficult, not least because the animals tend to lie up in daytime. The slots of adults are not easily recognised but damage to vegetation may help an observer to find this species. If seen during summer the large size and spots are valuable aids to identification.  

Habits

In Kent, sika deer are largely associated with heathland habitat and also favour the deciduous woodland within their range.  

Reproduction and life cycle

Sika have a prolonged rut in September to October and a single fawn born in May to June after about five to seven months gestation.  

Distribution, status and conservation

Sika deer are currently very localised in Kent and have been for some decades. They are unlikely to increase much in the near future due to habitat limitation.

Sika deer are observed largely around Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, where they have occurred for over a century. Sika remain local but may be hybridising with red deer in some areas. The species was introduced from Japan and theories abound on the origins of the Kent populations. Supposedly some are escapees from Knole Park near Sevenoaks; however, many of the current animals show signs of hybridisation with red deer, and are thought to be the descendants of ‘carted’ deer which were released for hunting and then recaptured by the Mid-Kent Staghounds during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Red deer are rarely observed in Kent with individuals occasionally escaping from deer farms.

 
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