Shanxi sika deer
subspecies of sika deer (Cervus nippon) native to much of East Asia
The Shanxi sika deer (Cervus nippon grassianus) is a possibly extinct subspecies of the sika deer. It is also one of its largest, being 105–110 cm tall at the shoulders and weighing 100 kg. The color is tawny or grayish dark, and is brown on the back of the leg. The spots are nearly invisible. It is previously found in two populations in the upland forests of Lüliang Mountains in western Shanxi, while its range might be much larger in historical times, encompassing the entire loess plateau. There has been no sightings of the subspecies for decades and it is now believed to be extinct, though no actual investigations have been done. Although pure bred individuals remain in farms as a breed, there is not enough suitable habitat nor government effort for reintroduction to take place.
“Shanxi sika deer” enters the record as subspecies of sika deer (Cervus nippon) native to much of East Asia. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Shanxi, sika and deer can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 26, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q3665285. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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