Seasonal differences in food habits and rumen digestion status of wild sika deer (Cervus nippon) in western Yamaguchi, Japan
2006
Ichinohe, T.(Shimane Univ., Matsue (Japan). Faculty of Life and Environmental Science) | ; Hosoi, E. | ; Fujihara, T.
Differences in food plant species and rumen digestion status of wild sika deer between spring (April-May) and autumn (October-November) in the western part of Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, were studied. Ingested plant species were enumerated by the point-frame method (n=41), and rumen digestion status was evaluated by the rumen particle pool analysis (n=24) using rumen samples obtained from captured adult sika deer. A range of plant species was observed in the rumen digesta; and food habits differed between spring and autumn. Sika deer consumed forbs and browse leaves in spring, while they ate browse leaves and acorns markedly in autumn. Weight of rumen digesta and mean rumen particle size were greater (P0.05) in autumn than those in spring. Degradability of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber seemed to be greater in spring than those in autumn. It was noticeable that the substantial part of lignin of ingested acorns and fallen foliage was degraded ruminally in autumn. The ruminal protein degradation was not depressed by the tanniniferous food consumption; and the protein degradability seemed to be almost similar between the seasons. It was suggested that the seasonal differences in ruminal digestion and digesta outflow of wild sika deer might be due to the changes in quantity and quality of food plants available to sika deer through the year in the area studied.
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