Capreolus pygargus (Pallas 1771)

[Cervus] pygargus Pallas 1771, Reise Prov. Russ. Reichs, Vol. 1: 453.

Type Locality: "In campestribus et montanis fruticosis ultra Volgam"; identified as Russia, former Samar district or province (Orenburgskaia Obl.), source of River Sok (a left tributary of the Volga), Bugulma-Belebei uplands (Heptner et al. 1961; Rossolimo in litt.).

Vernacular Names: Siberian Roe.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Capreolus pygargus subsp. pygargus Pallas 1771

Subspecies Capreolus pygargus subsp. bedfordi Thomas 1908

Subspecies Capreolus pygargus subsp. mantschuricus (Noack 1889)

Subspecies Capreolus pygargus subsp. ochraceus Barclay 1935

Distribution: S Ural Mtns (Russia), N and E Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and S Siberia (Russia) eastward to Pacific coast, south into N and C China (N Sinkiang and Inner Mongolia south to Sichuan), N Mongolia, and Korea; apparently formerly in E Ukraine and N Caucasus Mtns (Russia) but original natural distribution not well documented.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Year of publication stated to be 1773 by Heptner et al. (1961) but no evidence provided and bibliographies cite 1771. Now regarded by most Russian authors as a species distinct from C. capreolus (Hewison and Danilkin, 2001; Sokolov et al., 1985; Sokolov and Gromov, 1990). Reviewed by Danilkin (1995, Mammalian Species, 512); revised by Sokolov et al. (1986 c). Cervus pygargus mantschuricus Noack, 1889 is not preoccupied by Cervus mantchuricus Swinhoe, 1864 (= Cervus nippon) as there is a one letter difference (Article 57.6, International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, 1999). Treatment of ochraceus as a valid subspecies follows Koh and Randi (2001).