White-lipped deer
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White Lipped Deer ( Cervus albirostris ) |
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| Cervus albirostris | ||||||||||||
| Przewalski , 1883 |
The white-lipped deer ( Cervus albirostris , syn .: Przewalskium albirostris ) is a species of mammal from the deer family (Cervidae). It lives in the highlands of Tibet and is therefore the deer species with the highest altitude distribution. Due to several characteristics, it is adapted to a life in a habitat in which it sometimes experiences fewer than twelve frost-free days a year.
features
The white-lipped deer is one of the largest species of deer, it is significantly larger than the red deer, for example . The white-lipped deer reaches a head-trunk length of up to 2.3 meters. The tail measures an average of 13 centimeters. The shoulder height of the males is 1.30 meters and they weigh up to 204 kilograms. The sexual dimorphism is very pronounced; the females are significantly smaller and weigh an average of 125 kilograms.
The fur of the white-lipped deer is brown and short in summer, the winter fur is rather grayish and significantly longer. The lighter color of the winter coat may be due to the fact that it is worn longer and therefore fades more than the summer coat. The hair of the winter coat is long and wavy and has thick woolen hair . The whitish hair around the nose and chin gives it its name. Several characteristics distinguish the white-lipped deer from other deer: The hooves, which are high and wide and clearly stand out from those of all other deer, are striking. They are an adaptation to the rocky habitat of the white-lipped deer and enable it to climb over rocks. White-lipped deer are also the only deer in which the hair on the withers is pointing forward, giving the impression that this species has a small hump. The legs are also shorter and thicker than those of the deer that live in deeper and flatter regions. The large antlers, which, as with almost all deer, are only worn by the males, have five ends. The antlers can reach a length of 1.4 meters. Since there are usually no plants in their habitat to sweep their antlers on, some of them are not darkly colored by sap, as is the case with red deer, for example . Typically, the antlers of this species are very light and almost whitish at the tips.
Locomotion and senses
White-lipped deer are able to gallop at speeds of up to 56 km / h. However, they don't keep up this speed for long. Usually they move slowly to their feeding places. The sense of sight plays a greater role for them in recognizing danger than the sense of hearing; In their habitat the sound of falling stones is too frequent for it to signal danger. They therefore hardly react to such noises. In contrast, vocalizations play a major role in intra-species communication. The males let out a roar that can be heard from afar during the rut. The fright of the females is a high-pitched bark. Calves scream loudly for their mother animals.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the white-lipped deer includes eastern Tibet and parts of the adjacent Chinese provinces from Gansu to Sichuan . Their habitat are both coniferous forests and areas above the tree line at heights of 3400 to 5100 meters.
Way of life
These deer are extremely skilled climbers. They live in groups, often these are pure male or pure female groups with their offspring. During the mating season, the males become more aggressive towards one another, they then lead a more solitary life and fight for mating privilege with their antlers. The diet of these deer consists mainly of grass. They look mainly at dawn and dusk. They are often associated with the argali , the largest species of wild sheep, while foraging . During the winter months, white-lipped deer migrate to lower altitudes or stay on exposed slopes where the wind prevents the formation of deep layers of snow. The wet season before the rut is particularly important for this species of deer, because it is during this time that they eat the fat reserves they need to get through the winter months.
Reproduction
During the rutting season, the males forge the ground with their antlers. They also paw in rutting pits, in which they urinate and in which they then wallow. Fights between the males are relatively rare; the deer 's demeanor is sufficient to establish a ranking.
The mating season is in October, after a gestation period of around 220 to 230 days, the female usually gives birth to a single young in May or June. The birth weight of these calves is 8.1 to 8.6 kilograms. The calves usually take cover in the grass where they are curled up. The mother animal stays close to you and usually stands a little higher on the slope. They are suckled three to four times a day. At around two weeks of age, the calves are able to follow the mother animal. The mother animal then often joins forces with other females leading the calves. They are weaned at around 10 months and reach sexual maturity at 1.5 to 2.5 years.
White-lipped deer kept in captivity could live up to 19 years of age. White-lipped deer meet only a few predators in their habitat. The snow leopard and wolf are the only predators that matter. However, these two species are rare in the white lipped deer habitat.
Systematics
The white lip Hirsch is a kind from the genus of red deer ( Cervus ). It is often placed in the independent genus Przewalskium . Molecular genetic studies have shown, however, that it is deeply embedded in the cervus . The sika deer ( Cervus nippon ) and the elk ( Cervus canadensis ) can be considered as close relatives .
threat
White-lipped deer are hunted for their meat and for their antlers, which are used in Chinese medicine. As a result, the population figures were greatly reduced, but due to the vastness of the distribution area, according to a more recent estimate, they are still over 50,000 to 100,000 animals. The IUCN lists the species as endangered ( vulnerable ). In China, this species of deer has also started to be kept on farms to obtain meat and bast. Overexploitation of the grazing areas by domestic animals represents a further threat to this species, as it has a negative effect on the reproductive rate of this species.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Leonard Lee Rue III: The Encyclopedia of Deer . Voyageur Press, Stillwater 2003, ISBN 0-89658-590-5
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . 3rd edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Single receipts
- ^ Rue, p. 57
- ^ Rue, p. 57
- ^ Rue, p. 57
- ^ Rue, p. 57
- ↑ Rue, p. 58
- ↑ Rue, p. 58
- ↑ Rue, p. 58
- ↑ Colin P. Groves: The genus Cervus in eastern Eurasia. European Journal of Wildlife Research 52 (2), 2006, pp. 14-22
- ↑ Clément Gilbert, Anne Ropiquet and Alexandre Hassanin: Mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies of Cervidae (Mammalia, Ruminantia): Systematics, morphology, and biogeography. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 40, 2006, pp 101-117
- ↑ Rue, p. 58
Web links
- Photos, distribution map and further information
- Cervus albirostris in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Deer Specialist Group, 1996. Accessed on 12/01/2006.