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Cervus nippon

Updated：2021-09-24 Source：Shennongjia National Park

Sika deer (Cervus nippon), a medium-sized deer of the genus Cervus, family Cervidae, is a national class I protected animal species of China. Its fur color is chestnut red in summer, with many white spots, so it is also named spotted deer. The sika deer is a species endemic to eastern Asia, mainly distributed in eastern Russia, Japan and China. Its antlers are mainly used for defense and fighting over mates, and are subject to breakage and renewal once a year. Chinese medicine has records of harvesting deer antlers for use in medicinal preparations.