The Kerama deer (also Kerama Sika) is an endangered subspecies of the Sika deer native to the Kerama Islands.[1]
| Kerama deer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kerama deer stands looking into camera with plants hanging out of its mouth | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. n. keramae
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| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus nippon keramae (Kuroda, 1924)
| |
History
editKerama deer were imported from the Kagoshima Prefecture in the early 17th century. They were heavily hunted because they destroyed crops,[2] causing the population to rapidly decline, and are now a government-protected species. The total known population was 130 as of 1995.[3] They have been designated a Natural Monument of Japan.[4]
Description
editKerama deer have dark brown hair. Only the bucks have antlers, which are shed from March to April. They are small, weighing only about 75 kilograms.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Subspecies of sika deer. Table 1". researchgate.net. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Kerama Deer (Natural monument)". keramaislands.asia. June 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Nature in Akajima". amsl.or.jp. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
- ^ "Highlights of Keramashoto National Park". env.go.jp. Retrieved 4 May 2019.