Artiodactyl squad.
External signs of a mouse deer
The mouse deer is the smallest artiodactyl and has a body length of 18-22 cm, a tail 2 inches long. Body weight 2.2 to 4.41 lbs.
Horns are absent; instead of them, the adult male has elongated upper canines. They stick out on either side of the mouth. The female has no canines. The size of the female is smaller. On the ridge, the mouse deer has a noticeable crescent-shaped pattern. The color of the coat is brown with an orange tint. The belly is white. There are a series of white vertical markings on the neck. The head is triangular, the body is round with an extended hindquarter. Legs are as thin as pencils. Young mouse deer look like miniature adults, however, their canines are not developed.
Conservation status of mouse deer
A preliminary estimate of the number of mouse deer needs to be clarified. It is possible that not one species lives in Java, but two or even three, so it is not possible to assign a critical assessment to Tragulus javanicus. There is no exact information on how many species of deer live on the island of Java. However, even accepting the assumption that there is only one species of mouse deer, the data for red listing is rather limited. In addition, the reduction in the number to be included in the Red List must occur quickly enough.
If the mouse deer shows signs of decline, then, it is likely that it can be placed in the category of "vulnerable species", this requires special research throughout Java to justify this status of the species from the red list. The current status needs to be clarified with the help of special surveys (trap cameras). In addition, surveys of local hunters in the central and border regions provide valuable information on the number of mouse deer.
Mouse deer spread
The mouse deer is endemic to the islands of Java and Indonesia. Perhaps this representative of artiodactyls also lives in Bali, as evidenced by some observations in the Bali Barat National Park. Given the direct trade of rare animals in Java, further information is needed to confirm whether this species is native or introduced to Bali.
The mouse deer is found near Cirebon on the north coast of West Java.
Also mentioned in the western part of Java, on the southern coast. Lives in the gunung Halimun reserve, Ujung Kulon. Occurs in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Dieng plateau in the lowland (400-700 m above sea level). A mouse deer was found at Gunung Gede - Pangangro at an altitude of about 1600 m above sea level
Mouse deer habitat
Mouse deer have been found in all provinces. It is quite intensively distributed from sea level to high mountains. Prefers areas with dense undergrowth of vegetation, for example, along river banks.
Breeding mouse deer
Mouse deer can breed at any time of the year. The female bears offspring 4 1/2 months. It gives birth to only one fawn covered with fawn fur. Within 30 minutes after birth, he is able to follow his mother. Milk feeding lasts 10-13 weeks. At the age of 5-6 months, mouse deer are capable of reproduction. Life expectancy is 12 years.
Mouse deer behavior
Mouse deer tend to form monogamous family groups. Some individuals live alone. These artiodactyls are very shy and try to remain unnoticed. They, as a rule, are silent and only when frightened they emit a piercing cry.
They travel through tunnels in dense thickets along trails to reach feeding and resting areas. Deer males are territorial. They regularly mark their territories and their family members with secretions from the intermandibular gland located under the chin, and also mark them by urination or defecation.
Male mouse deer can protect themselves and their relatives, drive off rivals, and pursue, acting with their sharp fangs. In case of danger, these small ungulates warn other individuals with a 'drum roll', while quickly knocking their hooves on the ground at a speed of 7 times per second. The main threat in nature comes from large birds of prey and reptiles.
Mouse deer feeding
Mouse deer are ruminants. Their stomachs are home to beneficial microorganisms that produce enzymes for digesting rough food rich in fiber. In the wild, ungulates feed on leaves, buds and fruits that are collected from trees and shrubs. In zoos, mice deer are also fed with leaves and fruits. Sometimes, along with plant food, they eat insects.
Reasons for the decrease in the number of mouse deer
Mouse deer are regularly sold in the markets of cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Malang. They are often kept in cramped and small cages and are therefore difficult to spot. The sale of rare ungulates has been going on at a high pace for many decades. They are sold for both pets and meat.
The number of animals that pass through markets in Jakarta, Bogor, and Sukabumi has dropped dramatically recently, possibly due to tightening forest police controls in these markets. But the decline in trade suggests that the decline in trade is associated with increasing difficulty in capturing animals and therefore indicates a decline in numbers.
Mouse deer are blinded by strong light and the animals become disoriented and become the prey of poachers. Therefore, the degradation of habitats and the uncontrolled hunt for mouse deer are of concern.
Mouse deer guard
Mouse deer live in reserves that were created in the last century. In 1982, the Indonesian government published a list of national parks and an environmental action plan. During the 1980s and until the mid-1990s, Java's national parks remained largely intact and escaped illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and mining.
Socio-political changes since 1997 have led to the decentralization of the management of protected areas, therefore, in the last decade, destruction of the natural environment and poaching have increased, which significantly affect the number of mouse deer.
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There are many strange and artsy animals in the world, but this has probably surpassed many, if not all. Have you ever heard that in addition to plants, deer can eat insects, fish and even the corpses of other animals? Surprisingly, this deer, which will be discussed further, lives in tropical forests and leads a very strange way of life .. And it looks no less strange. This is a mouse deer - Kanchil.
This deer, so to speak, is only 20-25 centimeters tall. And it weighs one and a half kilos. The fattest and happiest representatives of this species reach two and a half kilograms, but no more.
But despite the family ties with artiodactyls, the mouse deer has no horns - as, indeed, all deer (miniature ungulates). Deer-mice are soft and fluffy, they are covered with grayish-brown hair, often with an orange tint. But on the other hand, these deer have fangs, they are so huge that they even protrude from the mouth. These animals are the smallest representatives of the artiodactyl order.
Kanchil (Asian deer, Latin Tragulus) is a genus of artiodactyl animals of the deer family, which includes only 5 species. Bigger kanchil (Tragulus napu) is known more than small, it has a mass of 5-8 kg, a body length of 70-75 cm and a height of up to 40 cm. It lives on the Malacca Peninsula, on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
And the smallest of the deer - the small kanchil (Tragulus javanicus) - inhabits the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java. The height of this ungulate barely reaches 20-25 cm, and its weight is 1-2.5 kg. There is also the Indian deer, which lives in India and Ceylon, and the African deer.
Kanchili inhabit dry forests with rock outcrops and mangroves. They are modest and secretive nocturnal animals that lead a solitary lifestyle. Only for a moment can you see the kanchilya in a dense bush. When pursued, he hides, and when captured, he bites. The rut of the kanchili occurs in June-July. The duration of pregnancy is 150-155 days. Females of kanchilya often bring two, if one may say so, a calf.
Mouse deer reached their heyday long, long ago - in the Miocene (23-5 million years ago), and the first paleontological finds date back to the Oligocene (34 million years ago). At present, it is a relict, endangered group of animals - the only living representatives of the Tragulina infrared.
The closest relatives of Kanchils are both deer and pigs, with the former they have a common structure of the dental apparatus and digestive system, and with the latter they have a similarity in the structure of the limbs, and in particular the presence of four fingers. Ultimately, the Mouse Deer are a prime example of the oldest artiodactyls. By the way, from which all others evolved.
Kanchili inhabit the tropical rain forests of Central Africa and Southeast Asia. Their small size - up to a maximum of 80 cm at the African water canchili, help them remarkably to move in dense thickets, tropical forests, not get dirty in swampy soil and forest litter. These animals are very territorial and each individual occupies, although not large - up to 13 hectares, but a permanent piece of forest. During the day, Kanchili are in a wide variety of places where they hide, and feed at dusk and at night.
Today on Earth there are only five species of these animals, moreover, only one species is found in Africa - the African water canchil (Hyemoschus aquaticus), and the rest are Asian species: Big canchil (Tragulus napu), Malaya canchil (Tragulus javanicus) and Spotted kanchil (Moschiola mennina). It should be said that only in 2005, a fifth species was described from Sri Lanka - the Sri Lankan kanchil (Moschiola kathygre).
They eat everything that they come across on their way from leaves of tropical plants, mushrooms, fruits and seeds, to beetles, frogs, fish and carrion. Moreover, these deer actively hunt fish in shallow rates, streams and rivulets. But the African aquatic kanchil spends a lot of time in the water and can rightfully be called an amphibian mammal - here it feeds and, mainly, escapes from predators here, and it swims very well.
The presence of fangs, however, does not make the kanchili become impudent. On the contrary, these are very shy animals, leading a secretive lifestyle. They are active mainly at night. During the day they sleep (in crevices of rocks or hollow logs). And at night they wander in search of food. Big eyes help them to navigate in the dark forest. The reindeer eat vegetable food - leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (can casually crumple and some insect). Despite the legs with hooves, these mice somehow manage, if necessary, to climb trees.
Wonderful are your works, Lord. If danger threatens, kanchili sometimes seeks salvation in the water. They swim well and can walk along the bottom without sticking out for a long time. Each of the kanchilas has a territory of about 12 hectares in absolute possession (females have a little less - 8 hectares). This is how much these crumbs need to feel comfortable ...
Kanchil is a mammalian ruminant, a representative of the deer family (Tragulidae), which are the smallest and most ancient artiodactyls on the planet.
Archaeological finds allow us to assert that the first deer appeared about 50 million years ago, and the modern representatives of the family exactly repeat the appearance and behavior of their relict ancestors.
Where does kanchil live?
Currently, the deer family consists of 3 genera, including several species, 4 of them are the most studied. The range of the family covers West Africa, Southeast Asia and the islands of the Sunda archipelago.
In Africa, only 1 species lives - the water deer or African deer, its range runs through the territory of Western and Equatorial Africa from Gambia and Sierra Leone to the southern part of Cameroon.
The rest of the varieties are Asian species. Spotted kanchil or memine, also called spotted or Indian deer, is found in India and the island of Ceylon. A large napu deer, he is also a large kanchil inhabiting the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as the Malacca Peninsula.
The smallest representative of the family - a small deer, kanchil or Javanese small kanchil lives in the south of China, in the southern tip of the Indochina peninsula, on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, as well as on the nearby small islands.
Representatives of the family have similar anatomical and physiological characteristics that are characteristic of all fawn, but differ in some individual characteristics.
Biological description
Kanchili are the most primitive ruminant mammals, and their morphology clearly shows features inherent exclusively in non-ruminant animals, for example, in deer, a stomach with simple digestion, consisting of 3 sections, and when walking, they lean on 2 middle fingers, ending in hooves, but also 2 their lateral toes were also preserved, which is unusual for other ruminants.
The largest is a water deer, the length of its body is about 75 - 85 cm, and the height at the withers is from 30 to 35 cm. A large deer is slightly shorter than its relative and grows in length to 70 - 75 cm with a body weight of about 5 - 8 kg ...
The smallest deer is the Javanese small kanchil, it is also the smallest artiodactyl of the existing ones. The baby grows up to 45 - 55 cm in length, its height is about 20 - 25 cm, and its weight barely reaches 1.5 - 2.5 kg.
All kanchilias have a rounded body shape and a rather dense build, an arched back and very slender, thin legs, and each leg ends with 4 hooves, with the middle ones being noticeably larger than the lateral ones.
A small, neat head with a narrow muzzle, huge eyes and pointed ears is planted on a relatively short neck of the deer. The horns of these animals do not grow. A characteristic feature of males is the large, sharp canines of the upper jaw, which stick out, even if the mouth is closed.
Kanchiley is distinguished by a protective color of fur, mainly brown or brownish with light spots. In a small deer, the belly and chin are white, contrasting with the main brown color. Waterfinch is completely light brown with whitish markings on the back and 2 stripes of light fur running along the sides. Spotted kanchil is distinguished by a particularly dark color of fur, with a scattering of numerous light specks.
Reindeer lifestyle
All members of the family are shy and cautious animals, leading a secluded lifestyle. The reindeer feel most comfortable among the impassable mangroves of tropical forests and dense undergrowth, in the immediate vicinity of water bodies.
For the African water deer, a water source is often the only salvation from predators: sensing danger, the animal rushes into the water and dives, walks along the bottom in search of shelter, where it can sit until the morning, periodically sticking out its nose to take a breath of air. Sometimes, hiding from ground predators, the African deer deftly climbs the trees, climbing the vines.
Kanchil is a solitary territorial animal. Males occupy an area of \u200b\u200babout 12 hectares, the territory of females is approximately 8.5 hectares. Individual plots are always marked with urine, glandular secretions and dirt - especially useful in dense and gloomy forests.
In the light of day, the Kanchils rest in their shelters, arranged in crevices of stones or empty hollows of trees. Moreover, these animals do not sleep while standing, like most ungulates, but lying down, bending their thin legs under them. With the onset of darkness, the deer come out of hiding in search of food.
What does kanchil eat?
Deer are mainly herbivores, and their plant diet consists of seeds, shoots, leaves and fruits of plants, mushrooms and berries. The water deer often eats algae.
The secondary food is insects, amphibians, small rodents and the remains of a meal of predators. The African deer, often forced to stay in the water, sometimes feeds on fish and crabs. The carnivorous diet of these animals is a rarity among ungulates.
Breeding deer
Reindeer rutting period is June and July. Kanchils form a pair only during the breeding season, which is usually preceded by males fighting for a female, during which animals actively use their sharp and long canines.
The duration of pregnancy is 140-155 days. The female water deer usually gives birth to one cub, while her Asian relatives sometimes give birth to twins. As soon as the calf is born, it keeps well on its thin legs and feeds its mother's milk for 2.5 - 3 months. However, at 2 weeks of age, the cub begins to sample adult food.
Kanchil and man
Malay folklore ascribes to the deer the cunning of the European red fox, because it is possible to catch the animal only with a lot of luck. Basically, the local population hunts deer for tasty meat, but they are often kept at home, because the deer are easily tamed. The wild kanchil, being caught, desperately breaks free and bites painfully.
Due to a particularly secretive lifestyle, it is not possible to assess the state of the population of these animals, but according to experts, the only threat to the family is the intensive deforestation of tropical forests.
The world of the tropical jungle is distinguished by a special exotic flora and fauna, whose representatives destroy the standard ideas about the species known to the world. One of these exotic inhabitants of the tropics is a mouse deer called kanchil, which, by its very appearance, can shock those who were firmly convinced that they knew what the representatives of the family of these animals looked like.
Kanchil: neither a mouse nor a deer
Kanchil really looks more like some kind of wild hybrid of a deer and a mouse than a normal deer, and is considered the most miniature animal among artiodactyls. This tropical animal is endowed with a truly dwarf growth, usually not exceeding 20-25 cm, and this with an animal weighing 1.5 kilos. 
The fattest representatives of the mouse deer can only be half a kilo heavier than their counterparts.
In addition, these animals also lack the horns characteristic of its large counterparts. However, this attribute is absent in all miniature representatives of this family, of which as many as 5 species are found in nature. Of these, 4 live in Southeast Asia, and one in the mangrove forests of the African continent. The most famous is Malacca or, as it is also called, large kanchil, reaching a weight of 5-8 kg and a height of up to 75 cm in length and 40 in height. Such an exotic deer lives mainly on the territory of the Malacca Peninsula, for which it acquired its specific name, as well as in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Dinosaur survivor
Curiously, the mouse deer existed as far back as the Oligocene era, during the time when giant herbivorous dinosaurs lived on Earth, in contrast to which it survived to this day, and is a unique relict species of one of the most ancient artiodactyls. Among the closest relatives of this amazing animal are not only deer, but also ... pigs, 
with which the kanchil has one common similarity - in the structure of the limbs, which are distinguished by the presence of 4 fingers.
For all the cuteness of such an animal and the lack of a horn, nature still endowed kanchil with a reliable means for feeding and defending its rights in the wild - fangs, which often even protrude outward. If you try to catch this cute little animal, then, being captured, he will show remarkable aggression, and his catchers have every chance of being bitten by the sharp fangs of this kind-hearted baby.
Night hunter and fisherman
For its residence, the mouse deer, which is distinguished by a secretive nocturnal lifestyle, chooses dense mangrove thickets. 
In terms of food, this animal is completely picky and eats everything that nature is ready to send him: from plant food in the form of plants, fruits and mushrooms to small animal food in the form of beetles-bunches, frogs and even falling. In addition, kanchil belongs to avid amateur fishermen and actively catches fish in various shallow reservoirs. These miniature animals hunt at night, and during the day they rest in rocks or hollow logs. If the kanchil turns out to be caught by surprise by a predator, then by some miracle he can also climb a tree if this allows him to avoid danger.
Found in the wild savannahs of Kenya ... In the jungles of Borneo, Malaysia, I tried to find another endemic baby in the wild, but I was unlucky. But I still met this animal in the Kuala Lumpur zoo! Here's a look:
The first paleontological finds of murine deer date back to the Oligocene period about 34 million years ago, and were quite widespread in the Miocene about 23-5 million years ago. At present, this is a relict, endangered group of animals - the only living representatives of the Tragulina infrared. The closest relatives of the Kanchils are deer and pigs, with the former they have a common structure of the dental apparatus and digestive system, and with the latter they have a similarity in the presence of four fingers on the limbs. They are an example of the oldest artiodactyls and the smallest representatives of the order, from which all other species known to us today evolved.
The body of the “thinkers” is covered with soft and fluffy grayish-brown hair with an orange tint. The muzzles with huge eyes and pointed ears are very similar to mice, and the body and slender, thin legs are deer. Neither females nor males have horns, but there are huge saber-toothed fangs protruding from the mouth in the upper jaw, which stick out. They are primitive ruminant mammals, but their stomachs with simple digestion of three sections are characteristic of non-ruminants. When walking, they lean on two middle fingers, ending in hooves, but they also retain 2 lateral fingers, which is unusual for other ruminants. These animals do not sleep while standing, like most ungulates, but lying down, bending their thin legs under them.
Photo (c) Klaus Rudloff
Today this genus of miniature ungulates has only five species:
. Great water canchil Napu (Tragulus napu)weighs 5-8 kg, body length 70-85 cm and height 30-35 cm, with a light brown color and 2 stripes of light fur running along the sides lives on the Malacca Peninsula, on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
. African water canchill (Hyemoschus aquaticus)inhabits the territories of Western and Equatorial Africa from Gambia and Sierra Leone to southern Cameroon. Its belly and chin are white, contrasting with the main brown color.
. Spotted kanchil (Tragulus meminna)lives in India and is distinguished by a dark color of fur with a scattering of numerous small light specks.
... His close relative kanchil memine from Sri Lanka (Moschiola kathygre) was found and isolated as a separate species only in 2005.
... The smallest javan small kanchil (Tragulus javanicus)lives in the south of China, in the southern tip of the Indochina Peninsula, on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, as well as on small nearby islands. These babies are 45-55 cm long, about 20 cm and weigh 1.5 kg. It was them that I tried to find in the national parks of the island of Borneo.
Photo from internet
Reindeer live in tropical forests, dense undergrowth, among mangroves near the reservoirs of Central Africa and Southeast Asia. The water source is often the only salvation from predators: sensing danger, the animal rushes into the water and dives, walks along the bottom in search of shelter, where it can sit until the morning, periodically sticking out its nose to gulp air. Sometimes, hiding from ground predators, they deftly climb up the trees along the vines.
Photo from internet
Shy and cautious Kanchili are territorial animals and lead a solitary, withdrawn and nocturnal lifestyle. Males occupy an area of \u200b\u200babout 12 hectares, the territory of females is approximately 8.5 hectares. Individual sites always contain urine and glandular secretions. When chased, wild individuals hide and hide, and upon contact they desperately break free and bite painfully.
During the day, the deer sleep in safe shelters, and at nightfall they go out in search of food. Large eyes perfectly help them navigate in a dark forest. Kanchili are mainly herbivores - their plant diet consists of seeds, shoots, leaves and fruits of plants, mushrooms and berries, and aquatic species often eat algae. The secondary food is insects, amphibians, small rodents, beetles, frogs and the remains of carnivores. The African deer sometimes feeds on fish and crabs. The carnivorous diet of these animals is a rarity among ungulates!
Photo from internet
The mating season falls on June-July, the "thinking" pair only during the breeding season, which is usually preceded by males fighting for the female, during which animals actively use their sharp and long canines. The duration of pregnancy in females lasts 140-155 days. The female water kanchilya usually gives birth to one cub, while the Asian species sometimes give birth to twins. Only when the baby is born is already well kept on its legs and for three months feeds on mother's milk, but already at the age of two weeks begins to try adult food. Young deer become sexually mature at the age of six months, leave their mother and go to explore their own territories. Adults live for about 12 years. An interesting feature of females is their ability to mate almost immediately after giving birth, and some individuals spend their entire lives pregnant.
Photo from internet
Due to a particularly secretive lifestyle, it is not possible to assess the state of the population of these animals. Malay folklore ascribes to the deer the cunning of the European red fox, because it is possible to catch the animal only with a lot of luck. Basically, the local population hunts them for delicious meat, but they are often kept at home, because in captivity they are rather easily tamed.