The+Deer+of+Miyajima+Island

Done by Drew, Conrad, Blair, Austin, and Tyler =The Deer of Miyajima Island=

Commonly called the Sika deer, this animal is near-extinct in Russia and northern Manchuria, but is otherwise overabundant in Japan. The scientific name for this animal is //Cervus nippon//, which translates to "the true Japanese deer." Japan remains the only east Asian country to have not farmed these deer.

This deer is one of the few that keep their spots into full maturity, with the mainland population having clearly visible spots while the Japanese deer have near-invisible spots. Like all deer, the males have an impressive rack on top of their heads, but the females have small black bumps that may be false antlers. For a change, these animals are highly social, using ten distinct noises. They also gather in groups, ranging from a single male with over five females to a group of same-sex animals.

Tame deer can be found in the streets of the city of Miyajima simply walking around. In early history, their antlers were used in Chinese medicine and were called velvet antlers. Japan, instead of conserving, has taken controlling measures. However, even the hunters admit that their speed and cleverness make them three to four times harder to catch than most deer found anywhere.