Foxes (Vulpes) are common in South Korea but numbers are said to be 
decreasing in the Seoul area as lesser numbers of skins are appearing in 
the fur stores each year. Mink (Mustela sibirical), weasels (M. nivalis) 
badgers (M. meles), the Ussurian raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) 
and the small-eared cat (Felis bengalensis) are not uncommon in ring- 
necked pheasant range in South Korea. In addition, the Korean mink, the 
small-eared cat and the badger are also found in Cheju Do where a 
thriving population of ring-necked pheasants occurs. 
Snakes were not commonly seen in South Korea by Program personnel 
nor were reports received to indicate that those present were of impor- 
tance to pheasants. 
Reproductive Capacity 
In the wild the reproductive capacity of the South Korean ring- 
necked pheasant is similar to that of the ringneck in the United States, 
as is noted below: 
Breeding age ~~ South Korean ring-necked pheasants breed in the 
first year following hatching. 
Numbers of eggs -- The usual clutch contains 8 to 15 eggs. 
Brood survival -- Reported as good except when cold, wet weather 
occurs soon after hatching which, according to Korean farmers, often 
results in high chick loss. 
Life span -~ Probably 1 to 2 years in the wild would be the average 
longevity. In captivity may live for 8 to 10 years. 
Sex ratio -- Unknown. If like the ringneck in the United States, 
the sex ratio would be approximately equal among young birds. 
Renesting -- Will renest if the first nest is disturbed or destroyed 
before hatching. 
Second broods -~ Reports of second broods probably are the result of 
attempts to renest. 
Diseases and Parasites 
Almost no attention has been given to the diseases and parasites 
of the South Korean subspecies in Korea and this bird is not at present 
sufficiently important in the hunting economy of Japan to have triggered 
sucn investigations. No reportsof losses from epidemics of disease in 
the wild were received. Hunters in South Korea reported finding ticks 
occasionally on the heads of wild pheasants. 
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