Yellow-bellied musk deer
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Yellow-bellied musk deer ( musk chrysogaster ) |
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| ( Hodgson , 1839) |
The alpine musk deer ( musk chrysogaster ) is a mammal of the family musk deer , in the mountains and plateaus Asia occurs.
features
The species resembles other musk deer in body structure, but is one of their largest representatives. It reaches a head-torso length of about 85 to 90 cm, a shoulder height of 50 to 60 cm and a weight between 11 and 18 kg. The tail, which is 4 to 6 cm long, is very short and bare except for a small tassel. Instead of horns, there are elongated upper canines , which in males are also visible outside the closed mouth. The fur has a red-brown to yellow-gray color on the upper side, and a reddish-creamy-gray color on the underside. There is also a cream-colored band running along the center line on the back. The legs are a little lighter in color with a grayish-yellow tone. The face is elongated and takes up about half the length of the skull. An orange-colored eye ring is striking, and the large rabbit-like ears, which are light brown on the outside and gray on the inside, are also striking.
Distribution and habitat
The yellow-bellied musk deer occurs in the People's Republic of China from the Helan Mountains over the Tibetan plateaus to the Himalayas and reaches Bhutan , northeast India ( Sikkim province ) and northeast Nepal there . The habitat includes the dwarf shrub zone of the high mountains at an altitude of 2800 to 4800 m. However, the species rarely occurs deeper than 4000 m. Forests, mountain meadows and bushes serve as habitats . There the yellow-bellied musk deer lives in shady slopes and steep slopes from 30 °. The landscape is characterized by an annual mean temperature of 3 to 7 ° C and an annual rainfall of 200 to 450 mm. The population density is around 4 individuals in drier areas and can increase to up to 71 individuals in a comparably large area in more humid areas. However, it goes back where there is competition from Seraue and Gorale or from domestic animals.
Way of life
Little is known about the activity times of the yellow-bellied musk deer; reports indicate that it sleeps in depressions that it has dug itself during the day. The animals live mostly alone and maintain territories . The territories of the dominant male overlap with those of the female, but not with the territories of other males. In summer the districts are smaller with an average of 35.5 hectares than in autumn, where they reach up to 47 hectares. The ungulate often feeds on leaves of shrubs and perennials. 46 species are known that are consumed by the yellow-bellied musk deer. It also eats grass, flowers, twigs and young shoots as well as seeds. The proportion of leaves and shoots is higher in spring and summer and later declines in favor of twigs and seeds. The yellow-bellied musk deer does not undertake any major migrations. Except for a shrill warning call, there are seldom noises. The communication probably takes place mainly with the help of the secretion from the musk gland .
Males and females usually mate in November or December. One fawn is generally born after 150 to 195 days of gestation , rarely two. The birth usually falls in the season with the highest temperatures and rainfall. The newborn weighs 700 to 750 g and has a spotted coat. It is suckled by the mother for around two to four months. When the mother goes looking for food, the fawn stays in hiding, after 20 days it begins to eat solid food itself. The young are sexually mature around 16 to 24 months after birth.
Systematics
The yellow-bellied musk deer is a species from the genus of musk deer to which six other belong. The musk deer in turn form the monotypical family of the Moschidae, which, according to recent studies , belongs to the closer relationship of cattle , and only somewhat more extensively to that of deer . There are two subspecies within the species:
Originally, M. c. sifanicus within the Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus ) listed as a subspecies, later by Chinese scientists also as an independent species. Colin Peter Groves moved the taxon to the yellow-bellied musk deer in 1995, although some Chinese scientists still see this as an independent species.
The yellow-bellied musk deer was first described scientifically in 1839 by Brian Houghton Hodgson on the basis of individuals possibly from the Tibetan highlands . Cis and Trans Hemelayan regions were specified as the type locality .
Endangerment and Status
Natural enemies of the yellow-bellied musk deer are medium-sized predators such as wolves, foxes, lynxes and martens.
The species is primarily hunted by humans for its musk secretion, although hunting is illegal in many areas of the range. Deforestation and the import of competing grazing animals represent further dangers. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) assumes that the population has shrunk to less than half in the last 21 years (three generations) and lists the yellow-bellied musk deer as endangered ( Endangered ). It is represented in several nature reserves in China, including the Helan Mountains and the Xinglong Mountains .
Individual evidence
- ↑ G. Gam: Musk chrysogaster. 2002. Animal Diversity Web . University of Michigan. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d e f Colin P. Groves: Alpine Musk-deer Moschus chrysogaster. In: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 2: Hooved Mammals. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2011, ISBN 978-84-96553-77-4 , pp. 345-346.
- ↑ a b c d e f Musk chrysogaster in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species 2014.2. Posted by: Wang, Y. & Harris, RB, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, musk chrysogaster ).
- ↑ A. Hassanin, EJ Douzery: Molecular and Morphological phylogenies of ruminant and the alternative position of the Moschidae. In: Syst Biol. 52 (2), Apr 2003, pp. 206-228. PMID 12746147 . (PDF)
Web links
- Photos at ARKive.org