BOTANICAL AND CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF RUMEN CONTENTS OF SIKA-DEER ON MT GOYO, NORTHERN JAPAN

Botanical and chemical compositions of the rumen contents of 58 Sika d eer on Mt Goyo, northern Japan, collected from summer of 1988 to sprin g of 1989, were analyzed. Sasa nipponica, a dwarf bamboo, was importan t in summer (35.0%) and winter (61.4%), but it decreased to 5.6% and w as replaced by browse leaves in fall, and to 28.0% and was replaced by dead leaves, twigs and bark of woody plants in winter. Crude protein was 20-25% lower in the washed fraction than in the gross fraction. It was highest (16.2%) in summer and lowest (8.6%) in winter. High prote in content in summer and fall foods was attributed to forb and browse leaves. Seasonal fluctuation in protein content in the foods of these Sika deer was greater than red deer on Rhum, Scotland and smaller than wapiti in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. Climatically, wint er severity of Mt Goyo is intermediate between the two localities, whi ch seems to explain the seasonal fluctuation of the protein level. Cru de fiber was ca 33% in the 'washed' fraction, and did not change seaso nally.