S. Takatsuki et S. Ikeda, BOTANICAL AND CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF RUMEN CONTENTS OF SIKA-DEER ON MT GOYO, NORTHERN JAPAN, Ecological research, 8(1), 1993, pp. 57-64
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.