Sika deer dimorphism, with males invariably much larger than females. They can vary from tall at the shoulder and from in head-and-body length. The tail measures about long. The largest subspecies is the Manchurian sika deer ("C. n. mantchuricus"), in which males commonly weigh about and females weigh , with large stags scaling up to . On the other end of the size spectrum, in the Japanese sika deer ("C. n. nippon"), males weigh and females weigh . All sikas are compact and dainty-legged, with short, trim, wedge-shaped heads and a boisterous disposition. When alarmed, they often display a distinctive flared rump,
Formosan sika deer the 17th century immigration from the Chinese mainland increased dramatically in response to political instability in China and economic opportunities on Taiwan, which from 1624 until 1662 was controlled by the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The VOC, operating from the port of Taoyuan (modern-day Anping, Tainan) in southwestern Taiwan, established a trading post whose main business was the export of sika skins to Europe. During the six decades of Dutch activity two to four million sika skins were exported to Europe. Exporting was reduced when the Dutch were forced out of Taiwan in 1662, but continued throughout the Qing