sika
/ˈsiːkə
/(also sika deer)
noun
A forest-dwelling deer with a greyish winter coat that turns yellowish-brown with white spots in summer. It is native to Japan and SE Asia and naturalized in Britain and elsewhere.
- Cervus nippon, family Cervidae.
- Other problematic mammals include the ruddy duck, an American import that is threatening the native white-headed duck with extinction, and sika deer from Asia, which eat saplings and strip bark from trees.
- Deer are herbivores and sika are no exception, munching just about any kind of vegetation.
Origin
Late 19th century: from Japanese shika.