Bawean deer
| Bawean deer | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bawean deer ( Axis kuhlii ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Axis kuhlii | ||||||||||||
| ( Müller , 1840) |
The Bawean deer ( Axis kuhlii ) is a species of mammal from the deer family (Cervidae). It is endemic to Bawean , an island belonging to Indonesia and located between Java and Borneo and covering an area of 190 km².
features
Bawean deer are similar to the closely related pig deer, but in contrast to this they are monochrome and unspotted. The soft fur is light brown in color, the tail is slightly bushy. As with many forest-dwelling animals, the body is slightly lower at the shoulders than at the hips, which makes it easier to move forward in the thick underbrush. The antlers are relatively short and each end in three points, as with almost all deer species, it is only carried by the male. These deer reach a head body length of around 140 centimeters, a shoulder height of around 65 to 70 centimeters and a weight of 50 to 60 kilograms.
Lifestyle and diet
Bawean deer inhabit forests and are nocturnal. During the day they retreat into the dense undergrowth to look for food at night. They often use the same sleeping quarters several times in a row and lay out beaten paths to get ahead faster. These deer usually live solitary, sometimes couples can be seen. The diet consists of leaves and grasses.
Reproduction
Mating can occur year-round, but most births occur between February and June. The gestation period is around 225 to 230 days; Usually a single young is born, twins are rare. The young are only weakly spotted, and these spots are also quickly lost.
threat
The threats include the destruction of the habitat and the stalking by feral domestic dogs. Because of this, and because of its small distribution area (the smallest of all deer species), the species is listed by the IUCN as " critically endangered " . An estimate from 2006 put the population at around 250 to 300 animals.
Systematics
It is sometimes assumed that the Bawean deer, like the Calamian deer, is not a species of its own, but rather descends from feral pig deer that was brought to the island by humans. It is likely, however, that the holdings represent the remains of a species more widespread in the Pleistocene , which came to Bawean at a time when the island was still connected to Java by a land bridge .
The specific epithet kuhlii is a reference to the zoologist Heinrich Kuhl .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Photos, distribution map and further information
- Axis kuhlii onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved June 29, 2009.