Corsican Red Deer also known simply as Corsican or Sardinian Deer, is a subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 of the Red Deer

Red Deer

The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...

 (Cervus elaphus), endemic to the Mediterranean

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 islands of Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

, Italy and Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

, France.

Characteristics

The Corsican Deer is smaller than most of the 16 subspecies of Red Deer; has shorter legs (possibly to better scramble up mountain sides) and a longer tail.
The antler

Antler

Antlers are the usually large, branching bony appendages on the heads of most deer species.-Etymology:Antler originally meant the lowest tine, the "brow tine"...

s are also simplified and shorter, typically less than 80 cm (31.5 in) in length. Coat is brownish. Life expectancy is 13-14 years. Males reach a height of 86 to 110 cm (33.9 to 43.3 in) and a weight of 100 to 110 kg (220.5 to 242.5 lb); while females measure 80 to 90 cm (31.5 to 35.4 in) and weight 80 kg (176.4 lb).

Reproduction

The subspecies reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Mating lasts from August to November and can involve mortal battles. The dominant male finally secures most of the mature females, typically a dozen per male. After gestation, in May-July, females hide alone in the maquis

Maquis shrubland

thumb|220px|Low Maquis in Corsica.220px|thumb|High macchia in Sardinia.Maquis or macchia is a shrubland biome in the Mediterranean region, typically consisting of densely growing evergreen shrubs such as holm oak, tree heath, strawberry tree, sage, juniper, buckthorn, spurge olive and myrtle...

(the dense vegetation) to deliver, typically a single birth per female. Males leave the matriarchal group following the reproductive period.

Distribution and habitat

The Corsican Red Deer is an introduced species, brought to the islands some 8000 years ago. Today it is bred in the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse

Parc naturel régional de Corse

The Natural Park of Corsica is a natural park. It was listed in 1972 and then relisted for 10 years in June 1999. The Natural Park covers nearly 40% of the island of Corsica....

, which covers almost 40 per cent of the island, and also lives in the wild in sanctuaries on both islands.

Conservation status

The subspecies gets its name from the island of Corsica, from where it was however extirpated in the early 1970s. At that time, the less than 250 animals that still existed on Sardinia were protected and plans were elaborated for a reintroduction on Corsica. Captive breeding on the latter island began in 1985 and the population increased from 13 founders to 186 captive animals. Reintroduction could finally begin in 1998, and as of 2007, the Corsican population was about 250 individuals with a total of about 1,000 for the subspecies which has therefore been downgraded to Near Threatened

Near Threatened

Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...

 on the IUCN Red List

IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...

.