NaraExplorer

The deer in Nara is officially named “Japanese Shika” and its scientific name is “Cervus nippon”.

Japanese Shika grow new fur twice a year - in spring and autumn. The summer fur has white spots. It is called “Kanoko Moyo” (pattern of baby deer) and is featured in traditional Japanese textile patterns. The winter fur is gray-brown without white spots. Male deer in the mating season have thicker fur around the neck like a mane. It is important that they look larger when challenging other male deer.

Only male deer have horns. The horn is called Ichinen-tsuno (one-year horn). The horn from the previous year falls off in early spring and new ones soon grow. At this stage, the horn is still very soft and has fuzzy hairs around the skin. The horn becomes harder as calcium in the blood is settled. This hardened horn is called Fukuro-tsuno horn. When the Fukuro-tsuno horn becomes hard enough blood circulation stops. Then the outer skin covering the horn falls off and the brand-new horn is completely grown.

The stomach of deer is separated into 4 sections. Like cows, deer regurgitate their food (they swallow the food once and take them back to their mouth again). Initially, the food goes to the first stomach and then to the second stomach for mixing with bacteria. As they regurgitate, the food is digested smaller and it absorbs water in the third stomach. Finally, it is completely digested in the fourth stomach. Actually, the first, second and third stomachs are a kind of esophagus and only the fourth stomach functions in the same way to that of humans.