徳島県西部に生息するシカの食性 : 性差及び年齢差における違い

Sika deer (Cervus nippon) rumen contents collected on Tsurugi and Koyadaira in Tokushima Prefecture from February to March in 2015 were examined. The rumen of sika deer contained mainly dicot leaves (49.7%-74.9%), indicating that food habit of sika deer in these areas was a browser. The male adult deer foraged high quality food, because the percentage of conifer leaves and woody fiber in male adult deer was smaller than those of female adult or fawn. This result was not consisted with the food habit of previously examined Northern Honshu deer populations that male adults tend to feed poor nutrient foods. The rumen contents differences among sex and age in our study areas possibly affected by sedentary and wariness of female and fawn deer.