Ceylon Kantschil
| Ceylon Kantschil | ||||||||||||
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Ceylon Kantschil |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Moschiola meminna | ||||||||||||
| ( Erxleben , 1777) |
The Ceylon Kantschil ( Moschiola meminna ) is an even-toed ungulate from the genus of the Fleckenkantschile within the family of the deer piglets . It occurs in Sri Lanka .
features
The head-trunk length is 55 to 60 centimeters, the tail length 2 to 5 centimeters and the weight of the adult animals is 2 to 4.5 kilograms. The fur color and the pattern of spots are similar to those of the Indian Kantschil , but the upper row of spots does not merge into a complete stripe on the shoulder. The body size is small, the hind legs are relatively long and the side toes are small.
Occurrence and habitat
The Ceylon-Kantschil inhabits the dry zone of Sri Lanka. In contrast to the Kantschil species, which occur in deciduous vegetation formations, there is little specific information about the habitat of the Ceylon Kantschil. It is mainly a forest dweller and is generally found in all types of forest within the dry zone, but also in coconut plantations and gardens. He never strays far from water surfaces.
Way of life
Little is known about his way of life. One specimen in human care was 14.5 years old. Similar to the Indian Kantschil, the species is mainly crepuscular and nocturnal.
status
The Ceylon Kantschil is classified by the IUCN in the category “not endangered” (least concern). A large number of these animals live in well-secured protected areas within the dry zone. Also, the effects of forest degradation and fragmentation are unlikely to be serious, since the Ceylon Kantschil is adapted to survive in gardens and coconut plantations. The Ceylon Kantschile are hunted for their meat. In the dry zone, the Ceylon Kantschil is also moderately common outside of the protected areas.
literature
- Groves, CP & Meijaard, E. (2005): Interspecific variation in Moschiola, the Indian chevrotain. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Suppl. 12: p. 413-421. ( PDF, online )