A database of plant bite marks assessed with the DNA kit for distinguishing sika deer and Japanese serow

Abstract

We assembled a database of plant bite marks (bite marks on stem and leaf, and bark stripping) assessed with the “DNA kit for distinguishing sika deer and Japanese serow”, which were collected in North Tohoku District (Akita, Aomori and Iwate) for 8 years. Of the 3,572 stem and leaf samples collected throughout the year, 17.1 % were positive for deer and 18.0 % for serow. Of the 67 bark stripping samples collected from January to June, 61.2% were from deer, whereas serow was rarely detected. Deer can be detected with a high probability in winter by targeting the bite marks of dwarf bamboo and bark stripping of deciduous trees. Conversely, herbaceous plants, such as Elatostema involucratum and Achyranthes bidentate, were considered unsuitable for sampling because they were not detected with the DNA kit.