Sinomegaceros yabei (SciiFii)

The giant Japanese elk (Sinomegaceros yabei), also known as the Japanese giant elk, is a species of deer that originally lived in Japan during the Pleistocene and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and reintroduced to the forests, swamps, and open woodlands of Japan to help boost biodiversity. The giant Japanese elk is not an elk, despite its name, and is instead actually more closely related to the Irish elk (Megaloceros giganteus), which isn't an elk neither, thus, both are most closely related to the fallow deer (Dama dama). It is almost as large as the Irish elk, but with much smaller antlers and much longer metatarsals, the animal can grow to about 2.5 meters in length and a weight of around 600 kg. Its antlers are similar to the extinct mid-Pleistocene M. verticornis and M. solilbacus in both shape and size. The giant Japanese elk is noted for its distinctive palmate antler brow tines compared with most other species of deer. It is both a browser and a grazer that mainly feeds on grasses, leaves, shrubs, and fruits. It is a social animal that lives in small herds consisting of around 10-15 members in a single group. The conservation status of the giant Japanese elk is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the giant Japanese elk's wide natural range, and its tolerance level towards human activities similar to those of whitetail/mule deer, allowing it to survive and flourish in parts of cities and suburbs.
Category:Animals
Category:SciiFii