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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Indian
muntjac, Javan muntjac |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Artiodactyla |
| FAMILY: |
Cervidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Muntiacus
(Sunda language for muntjac) muntjak |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
This
is a small, brown deer with branched antlers and
a longer nose than other types of deer. |
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| SIZE: |
Approximately
40-65 cm (16-26 in.) tall at shoulder |
| FEMALE |
Females
are smaller than males |
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| WEIGHT: |
15.9-34
kg (35-75 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Includes
leaves, fruit, bark, fungi, herbs |
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| GESTATION: |
Gestation
lasts approximately 7 months; one offspring (rarely
2) at a time |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Approximately
6 months |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
Up
to 10 years |
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| RANGE: |
India,
Sri Lanka, Tibet, South West China, Burma, Thailand,
Vietnam, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo |
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| HABITAT: |
Inhabits
rainforest and monsoon forest |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
This
species is one of the smallest members of the deer
family. |
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| 2. |
The upper canine teeth of the males are elongated
making tusks that extend outward from the lips.
The tusks are excellent defense weapons, capable
of causing serious injury to potential attackers. |
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| 3. |
Muntjacs are also referred to as "barking deer"
due to the deep bark like sounds they are known
to make when on alert. This means of communication
is important for this forest dwelling species, which
is often found in areas of poor visibility. |
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| 4. |
Human
introduction has actually produced a wild population
of Reeves muntjac subspecies in the southern half
of England. A wild population of the Indian muntjac
also once lived there, but is now considered extinct
in that region. |
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| Muntjacs
are hunted for their meat and skin.
Due
to their habit of destroying trees by ripping
off the bark for food, they are considered a pest
in some regions.
Overall,
their numbers are decreasing because of uncontrolled
hunting and habitat destruction.
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| Estes,
R. D. The Safari Companion. Post Mills, Vermont:
Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 1993. |
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MacDonald, D. The Encyclopedia of Mammals: 2.
London: George Allen & Unwin Co., 1985. |
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Nowak, R.M. Walker's Mammals of the World.
Fifth edition. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1991.
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