168 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66 



Distinguishing characteristics. — ^Teeth 0/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3, = 34; size 

 small; coloration brownish olive or reddish olive with the middorsal 

 area somewhat darker and forming an indistinct dark line from the 

 forehead to the rump; underparts somewhat lighter; dorsum, parti- 

 cularly posteriorly, faintly speckled with indistinct white blotches in 

 both young and adults, the white blotches being more noticeable in 

 summer than winter; prominent white rump patch with semierectile 

 hairs; antlers in male narrow, seldom having over three points and 

 standing erect over head. 



This species is distinguishable from the white-tailed deer by a num- 

 ber of easily recognizable characters. It is considerably smaller, aver- 

 aging a third less in weight ; has speckled pelage in young and old of 

 both sexes ; has narrower antlers that stand erect above the head, rather 

 than curving forward over head ; and possesses a small canine tooth in 

 both sides of upper jaw. 



Measurements. — No external measurements are available for any of 

 the Maryland specimens. The species ranges in shoulder height from 

 32 to 43 inches (Tate, 1947, pp. 341-342) . 



Cranial measurements of an adult male from James Island, Dor- 

 chester County, are : Greatest length 231 ; zygomatic breadth 97.1 ; in- 

 terorbital breadth 69.3; maxillary toothrow 68.6. Cranial measure- 

 ments for two adult females from James Island are as follows : Great- 

 est length 220, 224, zygomatic breadth 91.3, 93.4 ; interorbital breadth 

 53.0, 60.0; maxillary toothrow 62.5, 65.9. 



Hahitat and hahits. — In its natural range, this species prefers hilly 

 regions with mixed large-leafed forests. It does best in areas which are 

 not subject to heavy snowfall (Flerov, 1952, p. 128) . 



In Maryland, it has been introduced on Assateague Island, and on 

 James Island, from which it has spread to neighboring Taylors Island 

 and the adjacent Dorchester County mainland. According to Flyger 

 (1960a), four or five sika deer were released on James Island about 

 1916 by Clemment Henry, who had kept them in an enclosure near 

 Cambridge for an unknown period before releasing them on the island. 

 They multiplied on James Island and spread to nearby Taylors Island, 

 and eventually to the mainland. Flyger and Warren (1958) estimated 

 that in the fall of 1957, 270 sika deer inhabited James Island. Regard- 

 ing their introduction to Assateague Island, Flyger ( 1960a) says that 

 Charles Law of Berlin, Md., stated that he purchased five sika deer 

 (two males and three females) from a man in Cambridge in 1920. 

 These deer were held in an enclosure near Berlin for several years, 

 during which time three young were born and one of the original males 

 died. Dr. Law sold these deer to a man who in turn released them on 

 Assateague Island where they have prospered and grown into a herd 



