Corsican red deer

Last updated

Corsican red deer
CervoMontevecchio.jpg
A male Corsican red deer
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Cervus
Species:
Subspecies:
C. e. corsicanus
Trinomial name
Cervus elaphus corsicanus
Erxleben, 1777

The Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus), also known simply as the Corsican deer or Sardinian deer, is a subspecies of red deer (Cervus elaphus) found on the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France).

Contents

Characteristics

A male Corsican red deer CervusElaphusCorsicanus-pjt.jpg
A male Corsican red deer

The Corsican red deer is smaller than most of the 16 subspecies of the red deer; it has shorter legs (possibly to better scramble up mountain sides) and a longer tail. [2] The antlers are also simplified and shorter, typically less than 80 cm (31 in) in length. The coat is brownish. Life expectancy is 13–14 years. Males reach a height of 86 to 110 cm (34 to 43 in) and a weight of 100 to 110 kg (220 to 240 lb); while females measure 80 to 90 cm (31 to 35 in) and weight 80 kg (180 lb). [3]

Reproduction

This subspecies reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Mating lasts from August to November and can involve mortal battles. The dominant male finally secures most of the mature females, typically 12 per male. After gestation, in May–July, females hide alone in the maquis (the dense vegetation) to deliver, typically a single birth per female. Males leave the matriarchal group following the reproductive period. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Corsican red deer was introduced to the Tyrrhenian islands of Corsica and Sardinia during the Holocene by humans around 2500–3000 BC, [4] replacing the now extinct endemic deer Praemegaceroscazioti, which had been present on the islands for over 450,000 years. Today, red deer live in the wild in sanctuaries on both islands; for example, it is bred in the Monte Arcosu Forest in Sardinia and in the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse , which covers almost 40% of the island, where it was reintroduced from Sardinia after its extinction in the 1970s. [2]

Conservation status

The subspecies gets its name from the island of Corsica from where it was, however, extirpated in the early 1970s. At that time, the less than 250 animals that still existed on Sardinia were protected and plans were elaborated for a reintroduction on Corsica. Captive breeding on the latter island began in 1985 and the population increased from 13 founders to 186 captive animals. Reintroduction could finally begin in 1998, and as of 2007, the Corsican population was about 250 individuals, with a total of about 1,000 for the subspecies, which has therefore been downgraded to near threatened on the IUCN Red List. [5]

See also

Notes

  1. "Species Profile". Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  2. 1 2 Hughes West 2008, p 146
  3. 1 2 Natura 2000, in French
  4. Hajji, Ghaiet M.; Charfi-Cheikrouha, F.; Lorenzini, Rita; Vigne, Jean-Denis; Hartl, Günther B.; Zachos, Frank E. (March 2008). "Phylogeography and founder effect of the endangered Corsican red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus)". Biodiversity and Conservation. 17 (3): 659–673. Bibcode:2008BiCon..17..659H. doi:10.1007/s10531-007-9297-9. ISSN   0960-3115. S2CID   26357327.
  5. Kidjo et al. 2007

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sika deer</span> Species of deer native to much of East Asia

The sika deer, also known as the Northernspotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, it was hunted to the brink of extinction in the 19th century. Protection laws were enacted in the mid-20th century, leading to a rapid recovery of their population from the 1950s to the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eld's deer</span> Asia ruminant mammal species

Eld's deer, also known as the thamin or brow-antlered deer, is an Endangered species of deer endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It inhabits wetlands and marshlands. It is active during the day and mates from October to the end of December. Three subspecies are recognised. All three are threatened by hunting and deforestation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red deer</span> Species of hoofed mammal

The red deer is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of western Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa; being the only living species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red deer have been introduced to other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. In many parts of the world, the meat (venison) from red deer is used as a food source.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambar deer</span> Species of deer

The sambar is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent, South China and Southeast Asia that is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red brocket</span> Species of deer

The red brocket is a species of brocket deer from forests in South America, ranging from northern Argentina to Colombia and the Guianas. It also occurs on the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorold's deer</span> Species of mammal

Thorold's deer is a threatened species of deer found in the grassland, shrubland, and forest habitats, at high altitudes, of the eastern Tibetan Plateau, as well as some fragmented areas further north in central Western China. It is also known as the white-lipped deer for the white fur around its snout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barasingha</span> Species of deer

The barasingha, sometimes barasinghe, also known as the swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It has been extirpated in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and its presence is uncertain in Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsica</span> Island and administrative region of France

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia, the nearest land mass. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. As of January 2024, it had a population of 355,528.

<i>Cervus</i> Genus of deer and elk

Cervus is a genus of deer that primarily are native to Eurasia, although one species occurs in northern Africa and another in North America. In addition to the species presently placed in this genus, it has included a whole range of other species now commonly placed in other genera. Additionally, the species-level taxonomy is in a state of flux.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbary stag</span> Subspecies of deer

The Barbary stag, also known as the Atlas deer or African elk, is a subspecies of the red deer that is native to North Africa. It is the only deer known to be native to Africa, aside from Megaceroides algericus, which went extinct approximately 6,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchurian wapiti</span> Subspecies of deer

The Manchurian wapiti is a putative subspecies of the wapiti native to East Asia. It may be identified as its own species, Cervus xanthopygus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elk</span> Species of deer

The elk, or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The word "elk" originally referred to the European variety of the moose, Alces alces, but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tule elk</span> Subspecies of mammal

The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule, a species of sedge native to freshwater marshes on which the tule elk feeds. When the Europeans first arrived, an estimated 500,000 tule elk roamed these regions, but by 1870 they were thought to be extirpated. In 1874–1875 a single breeding pair was discovered in the tule marshes of Buena Vista Lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Conservation measures were taken to protect the species in the 1970s. Today, the wild population exceeds 4,000. Tule elk can reliably be found in Carrizo Plain National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, portions of the Owens Valley from Lone Pine to Bishop, on Coyote Ridge in Santa Clara Valley, San Jose, California and in Pacheco State Park and areas surrounding San Luis Reservoir near Los Banos, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altai wapiti</span> Subspecies of deers

The Altai wapiti, sometimes called the Altai elk, or simply the Altai Deer, is a subspecies of Cervus canadensis found in the forest hills of southern Siberia, northwestern Mongolia, and northern Xinjiang province of China. It is different from the Tian Shan wapiti in being smaller and paler in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrrhenian–Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests</span> Ecoregion in Southern Europe

The Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests is an ecoregion in southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, the Dalmatian Islands of Croatia, and Malta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchurian sika deer</span> Subspecies of deer

The Manchurian sika deer or Dybowski's sika deer is a subspecies of deer, the largest of the 14 subspecies of sika deer. It was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1864.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan City of Cagliari</span> Metropolitan City in Sardinia, Italy

The Metropolitan City of Cagliari is a metropolitan city in Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Cagliari and includes 17 comuni. It was established by law in 2016 and replaced the province of Cagliari. The current president is the mayor of Cagliari, Massimo Zedda. The resident population is approximately 432,000. This figure can rise due to commuting into the functional urban area to approximately 477,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsican hare</span> Species of mammal

The Corsican hare, also known as the Apennine hare or Italian hare, is a species of hare found in Southern Italy, Central Italy, and Corsica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish red deer</span> Subspecies of deer

The Spanish red deer, is a subspecies of the red deer native to Spain. The Spanish red deer is a polygynous subspecies, which means the males have two or more mates; during mating season, males show a dark ventral area in their abdomen. The males usually defend the mating territories on the females' favored location.

References