Habitat: Forests of China, Taiwan, SE Asia
Status: Least Concern
DAK Locale: The Oasis
This species of deer was named after John Reeves a member of the British East India tea company. It is sometimes also referred to as the Chinese muntjac. In fact, it is quite common there with an estimated 650,000 animals in that country alone. Other species of muntjac are not as lucky, with many endangered or even critically so. This species, however, is common place throughout its range.
Like its habitat in the Oasis, this species likes to live near water in forests. Its preference is to be in dense vegetation where it can use its small size to its advantage in escaping predators. They will also bark in the face of danger giving them the nickname the "barking deer."
Muntjacs are some of the smallest species of deer, with the Reeves' variety averaging a mere 16 inches in height. Its diet consists of fruit, leaves and tubers. Like all deer, their stomachs have four chambers to allow for the digestion of tough to digest leaves. It is mostly solitary although it is sometimes found in small groups.
It has glands just below the eyes that it uses to mark the borders of its territory. To that end, they are highly territorial. Females will give birth in the dense vegetation which acts as protection for the fawn. They are born with spots to aid in camouflage. Adults have a wide variety of colors from dark browns to nearly red or even yellowish. The antlers begin from just above the eyes with the sheaths clearly visible in that area of the face.
No comments:
Post a Comment