Food habits of sika deer on the Boso Peninsula,central japan |
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Authors: | Masahiko Asada Keiji Ochiai |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Forest Zoology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, 113 Tokyo, Japan;(2) Natural History Museum and Institute, Chiba, Aoba-Cho, Chuou-ku, 260 Chiba, Japan |
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Abstract: | The rumen contents of sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck) on the Boso Peninsula, central Japan, were analyzed to identify local, sexual and age-specific differences in food
habits. Graminoids and woody plants were the primary foods throughout the year. In winter, the use of evergreen broad leaves
increased. The food habits of sika deer on Boso Peninsula were intermediate between those of populations inhabiting northern
and southern Japan. Acorns, mainlyLithocarpus edulis Nakai, were consumed in fall and winter with a peak in October. Since the availability of acorns is not influenced by foraging
in previous years, it can be regarded as a stable food supply and hence may be important for deer on the Boso Peninsula. The
local difference between the Amatsukominato (AT) area, having a large plantation ofLithocarpus producing acrons, and the Kamogawa-Katsuura (KK) area, having a small plantation ofLithocarpus, was recognized; seeds and fruit were consumed more in AT than in KK in fall and winter. Males consumed more seeds and fruit
than females at both sites in fall. This can be attributed to sexual differences in nutritional requirement. |
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Keywords: | age variation Cervus nippon food habits local variation point-frame methods sexual variation sika deer |
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