What is the difference between a roe deer and a sika deer? A quick guide to telling them apart

The roe deer is also known as the dwarf deer, wild sheep, roe, and roe deer, among other names. It is a herbivorous animal in the family Cervidae, subfamily Capreolinae, genus Capreolus, and is one of the common wild animals in Northeast China. The sika deer is also known as the spotted deer, deer, and so on. It is a mammal in the family Cervidae, genus Cervus, mainly distributed in China, Japan, and Russia. Let us take a look below at what differences there are between roe deer and sika deer!

The difference in family and genus between roe deer and sika deer

1. Roe deer: The roe deer is a herbivorous mammal in the animal kingdom, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, subclass Eutheria, order Artiodactyla, suborder Ruminantia, family Cervidae, subfamily Capreolinae, genus Capreolus.

2. Sika deer: The sika deer is a herbivorous mammal in the animal kingdom, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, subclass Eutheria, order Artiodactyla, suborder Ruminantia, family Cervidae, subfamily Cervinae, genus Cervus.

The difference in appearance between roe deer and sika deer

1. Roe deer: The roe deer has a body length of 100-140 cm, a tail length of only 2-3 cm, and a body weight of 50-80 kg. Males are slightly larger. The body is grass-yellow, with white hair below the base of the tail. Male roe deer have antlers, while females do not. The muzzle is brown, the tip of the nose is black, the cheeks are yellow-brown, the base of the ears is yellow-brown, the back of the ears is gray-brown, the inside of the ears is pale yellow and nearly white, and the ear tips are black. The forehead, neck, and back are dark brown with a slight yellowish-brown tint. The lower jaw is pale yellow, the throat is gray-brown, the abdomen is pale yellow, and the outer sides of the limbs are sand-yellow.

2. Sika deer: The sika deer has a body length of 140-170 cm, a shoulder height of 85-100 cm, and an adult body weight of 100-150 kg. Females are smaller. Deer have antlers, generally with four tines. There is a dark brown dorsal line along the center of the back. The tail is short, black on the upper side and white on the underside. The summer coat is brownish-yellow, covered with distinct white spots shaped like plum blossoms, hence the name “sika deer”. The rump patch is white.

The difference in distribution between roe deer and sika deer

1. Roe deer: The roe deer is a common wild animal in the forest regions of Northeast China, mainly distributed in Northeast China, Outer Manchuria, Siberia, Europe, and other places.

2. Sika deer: The sika deer is a species endemic to East Asia and is also distributed in eastern Russia, Japan, Korea, and other places. It was once widely distributed throughout China, but now survives only in a limited number of areas such as Jilin, central Inner Mongolia, southern Anhui, northern Jiangxi, western Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Guangxi. Taiwan, China has one endemic subspecies.