Siberian musk deer
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Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus ) |
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| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The Siberian musk deer ( musk moschiferus ) is a species of musk deer (Moschidae). It represents the northernmost species of the genus and is common in Siberia and the northern Far East of Asia. Due to heavy poaching, the species is on the decline and is considered endangered.
features
Like other musk deer, the Siberian musk deer is reminiscent of a small deer without antlers. The upper canines are elongated in both sexes. However, only in the male do they protrude clearly from the mouth. The Siberian musk deer has a dark brown fur with a slight red cast. There are pale spots on the back and two white stripes run down the neck. The lower jaw is also white. The skull is relatively light. The Siberian musk deer has a shoulder height of 56 to 61 cm and a head body length of 65 to 90 cm. The body weight is 8–12 kg.
Distribution area
The distribution area extends over the eastern parts of Siberia and the Russian Far East , it also includes parts of northern Mongolia and northern China. The species is also found in Korea and the Sakhalin Island . In the southwest it reaches Lake Balkhash and the Altai Mountains , in the north the Arctic Circle. The eastern limit of the distribution is determined by the Sea of Okhotsk . In the south, the area of the Siberian musk deer ends in Mongolia and northern China, where it penetrates south to 45 ° north latitude. In China, the original distribution area included the provinces of Xinjiang , Heilongjiang , Jilin , Liaoning , Inner Mongolia , as well as Hebei , Shanxi and Shaanxi . In this huge area, however, the species occurs naturally quite unevenly, as mountain conifer forests and rocky cliffs are preferred as habitats.
Subspecies
A distinction is made between the following subspecies of the Siberian musk deer:
- M. m. moschiferus Linnaeus , 1758 - relatively large and dark; Siberian part of the distribution area, as well as northern China and Mongolia. In China still in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang , originally also in northern Xinjiang .
- M. m. parvipes Hollister , 1911 - smaller than the nominate form and even darker, Far East, Amur and Ussuri region as well as Korea. In China in the Little Chingan and in the Changbai Mountains , westwards to the Ordos Plateau .
- M. m. sachalinensis Flerov , 1929 - relatively small; inhabits the island of Sakhalin .
Sometimes two other subspecies are also distinguished. On the one hand, the population in the Russian Far East is considered a separate form M. m. turovi considered. On the other hand, the stocks in the Verkhoyansk Mountains are occasionally referred to as M. m. arcticus severed.
Way of life
The Siberian musk deer inhabits deciduous and coniferous forests. The animals are mainly crepuscular and eat primarily leaves, herbs and lichens. In winter, they feed almost exclusively on lichens in some places. To reach them, they even climb trees three to four meters high. Siberian musk deer live solitary, sometimes in small family groups. A litter usually consists of two pups born between May and June. The gestation period is about six months. The animals can reach an age of approximately 10 to 14 years in the wild. Their main enemies besides humans are lynxes, wolverines, martens, and to a lesser extent wolves, tigers and bears. If they are pursued, they mostly flee into steep terrain.
Danger
Siberian musk deer are heavily hunted because the substance of the musk gland of male animals, the so-called musk , is a sought-after raw material. Musk is used to make perfumes and soaps, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine . Musk deer are only bred in captivity with moderate success, so the pressure on wild populations is high. Therefore the species is already extinct in large parts of the former distribution area. The species disappeared from Xinjiang in the 19th century. In eastern Siberia, the population was estimated at around 30,000 animals in 1999. In the Far East of Russia up to 150,000 additional animals are likely to have lived at that time. Another 600 to 650 animals were found on Sakhalin. Since then, however, the populations in all of these areas have been on the decline. In Mongolia, the population was estimated at 44,000 animals in the 1980s. But even here the numbers are falling. There are no inventory figures for China, North Korea and South Korea, but the inventory figures are likely to decline here too. The Siberian musk deer is classified as endangered ( Vulnerable ) by the IUCN . The species occurs in some reserves, for example in the Mongolian protected areas of Khorgo Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur National Park , Gorky Tereldsh National Park and Khan Khentii Conservation Area . In addition to the wild populations, there are breeding groups in zoological gardens and on musk deer farms in Russia and China.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f A Guide to the Mammals of China , Andrew T. Smith and Yan Xie editors., Princeton University Press, 2008; ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2
- ↑ Nowak RM: Walker's Mammals of the World . Sixth Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, London, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- ↑ a b Groves, C., P., Wang, Y., Grubb, P. (1995). Taxonomy of musk-deer, genus musk (Moschidae, Mammalia). Acta Theriologica Sinica 15, 181-197.
- ↑ a b c d V. G. Heptner: Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol. I Ungulates . Leiden, New York, 1989, ISBN 90-04-08874-1 .
- ↑ a b c musk moschiferus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2011. Posted by: Nyambayar, B., Mix, H. & Tsytsulina, K., 2008. Accessed on 19 July 2011th
