Chinese musk deer
| Chinese musk deer | ||||||||||||
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Chinese musk deer |
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| Musk berezovskii | ||||||||||||
| Flerov , 1929 |
The Chinese musk deer ( musk berezovskii ) is a representative of the musk deer . It occurs further south than any other species in the family.
Appearance
The Chinese musk deer, also known as the forest musk deer, is a dark olive-brown musk deer without any noticeable spots. Legs and underside are yellowish to orange-brown. Three orange stripes run down the neck from the throat to the chest. These can be faintly visible or dissolved in spots. It has a shoulder height of 50 to 60 cm, a weight of 13 to 15 kg and a stocky body. As with all musk deers, the short head has no antlers; two small tusks, over-long canines protrude from the jaws of the males. The animals have a very dense, short coat with no undercoat. The teats of the females are between the hind legs.
Occurrence and subspecies
It inhabits mountain forests and alpine zones in southern and central China and northern Vietnam . It reaches altitudes of up to 3000. There are four subspecies:
- M. b. berezovskii : large and quite dark in color with orange-yellow underside and brown-yellow neck stripes; Sichuan , Qinghai , and Xizang .
- M. b. caobangis : smaller and paler than M. b. berezovskii . Coloring rather reddish yellow; South Yunnan , Guangxi , Guangdong and northernmost Vietnam
- M. b. yunguiensis mediates in size and color between M. b. berezovskii and M. b. caobangis ; Yunnan, Guizhou , Hunan and Jiangxi .
- M. b. bijiangensis : Large, pale brown on the back with grayish-white stripes on the neck; Northwestern Yunnan.
Way of life
The predominantly nocturnal and twilight-active animals are strictly territorial and defend their territories against foreign conspecifics. The animals feed on lichens, grasses, fruits, leaves and shoots of young trees. During the rut, the males secrete a strong smelling, ointment-like secretion called musk from an apple-sized gland, which is located on the lower abdomen in front of the genitals.
Reproduction
The females reach sexual maturity after one year, the males only after 1.5 years. Mating takes place in late autumn or early winter. The gestation period of the females is 180 to 200 days, after which two fully developed young animals are usually born. The boys are self-employed after just one and a half months.
Hazards and protective measures
The IUCN lists this species in the endangered category . The reasons for this are the destruction of their habitat, the displacement and transmission of diseases by livestock and illegal hunting for the extraction of musk for use in medicine or for perfume production. To protect the species, attempts are being made to breed the animals in captivity in order to protect the wild population. Furthermore, this species is listed in Appendix II (restricted trade) of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species (CITES) and several protected areas have been designated in their habitat.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b C. P. Groves, Y. Wang, P. Grubb: Taxonomy of musk-deer, genus Moschus (Moschidae, Mammalia). In: Acta Theriologica Sinica. 15, 1995, pp. 181-197.
- ^ Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A guide to the mammals of China. Princeton University Press, New Jersey 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
Other sources
- Kerstin Viering, Roland Knauer: picture atlas endangered animal species . Naumann & Göbel, Cologne 2012, ISBN 978-3-625-13359-9 , p. 135.
- The great world empire of the animals . Planet Media, Zug 1992, ISBN 3-8247-8614-1 , pp. 134, 135.
- Encyclopedia of Mammals . Weltbild, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-8289-1556-6 , pp. 200, 201.
- Encyclopedia of Mammals . Könneman, Königswinter 2003, ISBN 3-89731-928-4 , pp. 502, 503.
Web links
- Musk berezovskii inthe IUCN 2012 Red List of Endangered Species . Posted by: Wang, Y. & Harris, RB, 2013.1. Retrieved July 13, 2013.