#0056 · 🦊 mammals

Sika Deer

🇳🇱 Sikahert ·Cervus nippon

LCleast concern 🦊 Mammals 📍 in the Netherlands (introduced)

7 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The sika deer ( Cervus nippon ) also known as the spotted deer or the Japanese deer , is a species of deer native to much of East Asia, and introduced to various other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to the Russian Far East in the north, it is now uncommon in these areas, excluding Japan, where the species is overabundant.

base stats

NL sightings 4iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 10,261iNaturalist observations
weight 5.8 kgadult, up to
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

Spotted 4 times in the Netherlands on iNaturalist.
10,261 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Weighs up to about 5.8 kg.
Scientifically named by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1836 (190 years ago).
Not originally Dutch: it was introduced to the Netherlands.

fact sheet

English: Sika Deer
Nederlands: Sikahert
scientific name: Cervus nippon
class: Mammalia
order: Artiodactyla
family: Cervidae
IUCN Red List: LC · least concern
in NL: introduced
sightings in NL: 4
sightings in Europe: 1,678
sightings worldwide: 10,261
GBIF records in NL: 157
weight: 5.8 kg
length: —
lifespan: —
named: 1836 by Coenraad Jacob Temminck

IUCN in Dutch: niet bedreigd. Blank means the sources don't say.

relatives· Cervidae

Sources: iNaturalist taxon 42210, Wikidata Q190516, GBIF 2440954, Wikipedia (EN), Wikipedia (NL). Intro text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.