Irish red deer
| Irish red deer | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. e. hibernicus
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus elaphus hibernicus (Stejneger, 1893)
| |
The Irish red deer (Cervus elaphus hibernicus) is a subspecies of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) that is native to Ireland. Their current distribution is believed to be that of the red deer in Killarney National Park.[1]
Details
Opinions are still mixed if it is its own subspecies or not, for DNA analysis shows traits of another subspecies of red deer native to Ireland, being the Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus). The Irish red deer may have broken off from the Scottish red deer around 5,000 years ago, but this has not been proven. Only a few individuals have been found with the same traits of the subspecies.[2]
References
- ^ "Landscape genetics of red deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758) in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry". Butler, F., Kelleher, C. (eds.). All-Ireland Mammal Symposium 2009. October 2012.
- ^ "Tracing Ireland's red deer". Shooting Times. July 27, 2016. p. 1. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
Wikispecies has information related to Cervus elaphus hibernicus.