MUNTJAC SPECIES

Gongshan muntjac

The genus Muntiacus has 14 recognized species:
Bornean yellow muntjac (Muntiacus atherodes)
Black muntjac or hairy-fronted muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons)
Fea's muntjac (Muntiacus feae)
Gongshan muntjac (Muntiacus gongshanensis)
Malabar red muntjak (Muntiacus )
Sumatran muntjac (Muntiacus montanus)
Southern red muntjac or Indian muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak)
Leaf muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis)
Pu Hoat muntjac (Muntiacus puhoatensis)
Reeves's muntjac or Chinese muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi)
Roosevelt's muntjac (Muntiacus rooseveltorum)
Truong Son muntjac Muntiacus truongsonensis)
Northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis)
Giant muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis)
[Source: Wikipedia]

Roosevelt's muntjac or Roosevelt's barking deer (Muntiacus rooseveltorum) is named after Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the oldest son of U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt. A single specimen of the animal was presented to the Field Museum in 1929 following the Kelley-Roosevelts expedition to what is now northeast Laos. The specimen is slightly smaller than the common muntjac and DNA testing has shown it to be distinct from recently discovered muntjac species although some still regard it as a subspecies of Fea's muntjac. Roosevelt's muntjac was believed to have been extinct since 1929. However, there have been several recent claims to have rediscovered the species, from evidence including skulls owned by villagers in the Truong Son (Annamite) mountains of northern Laos and far northwestern Vietnam. More recently, photographs from a camera trap at Xuan Lien Nature Reserve in Vietnam appear to have identified two individuals. [Source: Wikipedia]

Reeves's Muntjacs

Reeves’s muntjacs (Muntiacus reevesi) are 75 to 95 centimeters (29.6 to 37.4 inches) long, not including their 17-centimeter (6.7-inch) tail, and weigh 10 to 18 kilograms (22 to 40 pounds) . Native to China and eastern Asia, they have small 10-centimeter (3.9-inch)-long antlers and feed on a wide variety of vegetation ranging from shoots, herbs and blossoms to tough grass and nuts. Males are capable of breeding year round. In fights they try to push their rivals off balance, sometimes inflicting nasty wounds with their antlers. Their average lifespan in the wild is 10-12 years. Their lifespan in captivity is as high as 23.2 years.

Reeves’s muntjacs are sometimes called Chinese muntjacs. They are native to the subtropical forests of southeastern China and Taiwan. They have become established in England after being introduced at Woburn, England (located in the middle of Bedfordshire county) around 1900. Feral populations may also exist in France, where introduced individuals escaped gardens and zoos.[Source: Sara Deuling, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Reeves’s muntjacs live in temperate and tropical areas in forests, rainforests and scrub forests as well as urban, suburban and agricultural areas. They create paths through the subtropical rainforests and are sometimes called bush huggers because of this. Muntjacs in general tend to prefer habitats near water, but evidence of this not forthcoming with Reeve’s muntjacs. Reeves’s muntjacs fight to defend a fairly specific territory, but males also tolerate the presence of a subordinate male in their territory so long as that male is not in rut. In England, Reeves’s muntjac have slightly different preferences for habitat than those in China. They appear to be equally content in habitats with and without cover. They have been found in deciduous and coniferous forests as well as agricultural land, and even suburban and urban areas.

Black Muntjacs

black muntjac

Black muntjacs (Muntiacus crinifrons) have been documented in Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang provinces of eastern China as well as in Hkakabo Razi National Park in northern Myanmar. It has been suggested that the range of these animals once extended from the mouth of the Yangtze River, through the southeastern provinces that border the South China Sea, and into Yunnan province and Myanmar. Fragmentation of their former range has been caused by deforestation, logging and agriculture. [Source: Aaron Wood, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Black muntjacs live in temperate and tropical land environments in forests at elevations of 800 to 1000 meters (2624.67 to 3281 feet). They inhabits hilly, often very steep, mountain forests consisting a patchwork of deciduous broadleaf, evergreen, and bamboo patches with dense undergrowth and a subtropical monsoonal climate. Their lifespan in the wild is estimated to be as high as 11 years. /=\

Some muntjac species are as omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals) but black muntjacs are primarily herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts) and also regarded as folivores (eat leaves) and frugivores (eat fruit). Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, wood, bark, stems fruit. A study of the rumen contents of black muntjacs showed no animal matter. The contents included woody shrubs, vines, fallen fruit, herbs, grasses, twigs, conifers, bamboo leaves.

Northern and Southern Red Muntjacs

Southern red muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjak) and Northern red muntjacs (Muntiacus vaginalis )were formerly known as Indian muntjacs or common muntjacs. They have a body length of one meter and a tail length of 17-21 centimeters and weigh 25-30 kilograms. Their preferred habitats are forests and bush in low altitude mountains and hills. They eat branches, leaves, flowers, fruit, various kinds of vegetation and crops. Their skin has traditionally been a source of leather in China. For this reason they were widely hunted in South China. They are not considered threatened or endangered. Their average lifespan in captivity is 17.6 years.[Source: Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, kepu.net.cn]

Southern and northern red muntjacs can be found in southern and southeastern Asia, from Pakistan east through India and Nepal, across southeast Asia and southern China. In China they can be found in southeast, south and southwest China. Muntjac habitat includes areas of dense vegetation, grasslands, temperate forests, rainforests, scrub forests, hilly country, and monsoon forests. They like to be close to a water source. Natural predators include pythons, jackals, tigers, leopards, and crocodiles. [Source: Adria Jackson, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

southern red muntjac

Muntjacs are omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals), feeding on herbs, fruit, birds' eggs, small animals, sprouts, seeds, and grasses. They use their canines to bite and their forelegs to deliver strong blows in order to catch small warm-blooded animals. Pheasant hunters in India relied on the barking noises made by the muntjacs as a warning of a nearby predator such as a leopard or tiger. Muntjacs in turn have traditionally been hunted for their meat as well as skins. /=\

Southern red muntjacs have 2n=6 F/7m chromosomes, the smallest known chromosome number for any mammal. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies Southern red muntjacs as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. A study done in 1987 showed that there were 140,000-150,000 Southern red muntjacs in China. They have been introduced in Texas, the Andaman Islands, and on Lombok. Muntjaks also thrive very well in zoos. In some areas, where the population is large, they destroy a large number of trees by tearing off the bark. This in turn can lead to a loss of food sources as well as a loss of wood that can be used to provide shelter. /=\

The Northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis) is a separate species of muntjac found in numerous countries of south-central and southeast Asia. It was recently found to distinct from the southern red muntjac and includes all the population previously attributed to M. muntjak that are outside of Sunda and perhaps of Malaysia. The northern red muntjac occurs in twelve countries of south-central and south-east Asia including Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is also present in Hong Kong and may be present in Malaysia. The subspecies bancanus, montanus, muntjak, nainggolani, peninsulae, pleiharicus, robinsoni, and rubidus stay in the southern red muntjac (M. muntjak), while annamensis, aureus, curvostylis, grandicornis, and nigripes are now attributed to the northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis). [Source: Wikipedia]

Northern and Southern Red Muntjac Characteristics, Behavior and Reproduction

Northern and Southern red muntjacs range in weight from 14 to 35 kilograms (31 to 77 pounds) and have a head and body length that ranges from 89 to 135 centimeters (35 to 53 inches). The stand 40 to 65 centimeters (16 to 27 inches) at the shoulder. The length of their tail ranges from 13 to 23 centimeters (tive to nine inches). Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. Males also have small antlers, which are relatively short with long burrs. Females have tufts of hair and small bony knobs instead of antlers.

Northern and Southern red muntjacs are motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and solitary. They sense using touch and chemicals usually detected with smell. A sub-species of Southern red muntjacs have never been observed in groups larger than four. Such groups are most frequently a male female pair. Southern red muntjacs are described as “strongly place bound”; restricted to a relatively small home range (four to five square kilometers).

Southern red muntjacs have a short coat of hair. According to Animal Diversity Web: The coat can be thick and dense for those living in cooler climates, or thin and less dense for those living in warmer areas. The color of the coat is golden tan on the dorsal side, white on the ventral side, and the limbs and face are dark brown. The ears have very little hair. These deer also posses tusklike upper canines measuring about 2.5 centimeters (one inch) long in males. The Southern red muntjac falls into the subgroup of the deer family that have plesiometacarpals. In this group the only the upper parts of the second and fifth digit metacarpals are present in the foreleg.

range of the southern and northern red muntjacs

When they sense the presence of a predator, they emit sounds that sound like a dog barking. They may bark for more than an hour to make a predator show itself or leave the area. The muntjac may bark more frequently when its ability to see its surroundings is reduced as a result of the environment. The adult male and female muntjacs are solitary. During the rut their home ranges overlap for a short period. The young leaves the mothers territory when it is just about six months old, after which it must fight for its own territory. Sometimes the adult muntjac allows another indiviual in its territory. However, the other animal must be a male without complete antlers. These males are not aggressive nor are they ready to mate. They also display both diurnal (active during the daytime), and nocturnal (active at night), activity. /=\

The average gestation period is 210 days and average number of offspring being 1.17. On average females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at 272 days; and males do so at 332 days. Females are polyestrous with an estrous cycle lasting 14-21 days and the estrus lasting about two days. Breeding is not restricted to a specific time of the year. The weight of young at birth is between 550 and 650 grams. /=\

Bornean Yellow Muntjacs

Bornean yellow muntjacs (Muntiacus atherodes) as their name suggests are found throughout the island of Borneo, which is shared by Malaysia and Indonesia. They live in variety of habitats, including moist forests, low hills, rainforests, scrub forests, coastal regions, and areas of dense vegetation. They tend to live near a reliable water source at elevations from zero to 1200 meters (3937 feet). [Source: Ashley Jetzer, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Morphology suggests that muntjacs likely evolved from tufted deer (the only extant species of Elaphodus) and that the most primitive muntjacs were most similar to the extant Bornean yellow muntjac, which were not recognized as a distinct species until 1982. They were previously considered a subspecies of Southern red muntjac (Indian muntjacs), and were known by the name Muntiacus pleiharicus. Besides difference in physical appearance, Bornean yellow muntjacs and Southern red muntjacs can be distinguished from each other by their skulls. Bornean yellow muntjacs have smaller skulls, a relatively deep preorbital pit, and reduced frontal ridges. Bornean yellow muntjacs are the only muntjac species that lack an orange occipital patch. /=\

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies Bornean yellow muntjacs as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. However that doesn’t mean there are np threats. Bornean yellow muntjacs are hunted for their skins and meat and regarded as crop pests and are sometimes killed for that reason. They are attracted to grazing areas near roads and in forest cuts, where they are easier targets for hunting than in the deep forest. Their primary known natural predators are clouded leopards.

Gongshan Muntjacs

range of the Gongshan muntjac

Gongshan muntjacs (Muntiacus gongshanensis) can be found in evergreen forests and lowland forests in southern China, Tibet, Myanmar, and northern Thailand. There is some controversy regarding their taxonomic status as it has been described on the basis of a single, “odd karyotype". Morphological and molecular data suggests that black muntjacs and Gongshan muntjacs should be treated as a single taxon. The lifespan of Gongshan muntjacs is unknown. The animal is named after the Gongshan mountains in northwestern Yunnan privince, China. [Source: Kyle Thompson, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Gongshan muntjacs are primarily herbivores (primarily eat plants or plants parts) bur are also recognized as folivores (eat leaves) and frugivores (eat fruit). Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, wood, bark, stems, fruit. A study of stomach contents showed that their diet is mainly made up of fruits, twigs, and leaves. Most muntjac species are described as omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals) but Gongshan muntjacs and closely related black muntjacs appear to be mainly herbivorous. /=\

On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Gongshan muntjacs are listed as Data Deficient. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. Gongshan muntjacs numbers appear to be decreasing because of hunting by local human populations. Their have traditionally been hunted for their meat, horns, and hides. Little is known about predation on Gongshan muntjacs, but humans are suspected of being the main predators. Dholes and leopards prey on black muntjacs.

Gongshan Muntjac Characteristics, Behavior and Reproduction

Gongshan muntjacs range in weight from 18 to 24 kilograms (39.6 to 52.7 pounds). They have a dark, chestnut brown coat and resemble black muntjacs. Gongshan muntjacs have small, dagger like antlers, which are hidden in a tuft of reddish colored hair. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Females are larger than males. Ornamentation is different. Females stand 57 to 61 centimeters (22.4 to 24 inches) at the shoulder while males only reach 47 to 52 centimeters (18.5 to 20.5 inches) at the shoulder. Both sexes generally weigh between 18 and 20 kilograms (39.6 to44 pounds). However, a weight of 24 kilograms was reported in one male in one study. [Source: Kyle Thompson, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Gongshan muntjacs are terricolous (live on the ground), crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area), solitary, territorial (defend an area within the home range). They sense and communicate with vision, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. No studies exist on the behavior of Gongshan muntjacs. However, it is probably similar to that of black muntjacs, which are is solitary and very territorial. Black muntjacs use secretions from frontal and preorbital glands to mark territorial boundaries and “bark” when predators have been detected.

Reproduction behavior of Gongshan muntjacs is not documented, but based on such behavior of similar species it is believed they are polygynous (males have more than one female as a mate at one time) and that males demarcate and aggressively defend small territories against other males, These territories may overlap with several female territories.

Gongshan muntjac may breed throughout the year. The number of offspring is generally one. The average weaning age is believed to be two months and the average time to independence is six months. Females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at six months or later and males do so at nine months or later. In other muntjac species, maturation progresses quickly and females can carry one developing young in the uterus while nursing another. Black muntjacs breed continuously throughout the year. They have no distinct breeding season and females may go into estrous before reaching full body size.

Fea's Muntjacs

range of Fea's muntjac

Fea's muntjacs (Muntiacus feae) are closely related to black muntjacs. They have an unusually low chromosome number for a mammals (2n = 12 to 14), but a relatively high chromosome number for muntjacs. Genetic studies have shown that Fea’s muntjacs have undergone rapid chromosome evolution compared to other muntjac species which in turn have gone through a rapid change in chromosomal number relative to other mammals. The lifespan of Fea’s muntjacs in captivity is up 11.6 years. Their lifespan in the wild is estimated to be less than 10 years. Fea's muntjacs are named after Italian zoologist Leonardo Fea (1852–1903). [Source: Amy Messick, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Fea's muntjacs are found in Thailand and the southernmost region of Myanmar — known as Tenasserim — which lies directly to the west of Thailand, Some reports include Laos, Vietnam, and southern China as part of the animals’s former range. They live in tropical areas in forests and rainforests at elevations from sea level to 1500 meters (4920 feet). They prefer moist sub-tropical forests, in evergreen forests and teak forests, and rarely leave dense vegetation to forage in fields.

Fea’s muntjacs are omnivores (eat a variety of things, including plants and animals). Animal foods include birds, mammals, eggs. Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, roots, tubers, wood, bark, stems, fruit, herbs and mushrooms. Fea’s muntjacs individuals tend to stay in densely wooded areas, preferring more digestible vegetation over grass. Their rumen has two blind sacs, and food is passed through the digestive system relatively quickly in comparison to grass-eating artiodactyls. Foraging occurs primarily at night; small mammals and birds may be killed with the hooves and tusk-like incisors. /=\

It is not clear how many Fea's muntjacs there are. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List they are listed as Data Deficient. On the US Federal List they are classified as Endangered. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. Predators of these muntjacs include humans, tigers, leopards, dholes, wild dogs, and pythons.

Fea's Muntjac Characteristics, Behavior and Reproduction

The average weight of an adult Fea’s muntjacs are 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds). The average 57 centimeters (22.4 inches) at shoulder. Fea’ s muntjacs are uniformly brown in color with light stripes down the back of the legs and yellow hair at the crown of the head and around the pedicles. Tufts of hair on the forehead may be lighter in color. The relatively long tail is fringed with white hair. The elongated pedicles of males' antlers converge and each has a black line running up its center. The antlers are slightly longer than those of other muntjacs. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Females are larger than males. Ornamentation is different. Fea’s muntjacs females are taller than males by six to seven centimeters. Males have tusk-like canines that are one to two centimeters long.

Fea’s muntjacs are cursorial (with limbs adapted to running), terricolous (live on the ground), nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area), solitary, territorial (defend an area within the home range). Males likely maintain territories that encompass those of several females, though little is known about territory size or home range. Not much is known about their behavior in the wild. Males of other species of muntjac commonly spar by locking antlers to determine territorial boundaries and dominance, and may use their tusk-like canines as offensive weapons. In the wild, male Reeves’s muntjacs form loose social heirarchies, but the extent to which this occurs in Fea’s muntjacs are debatable. When startled, Fea's muntjacs flee in a series of agile jumps along known trails.

Fea’s muntjacs sense using vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected with smell and communicate with sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also leave scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. Individuals make barking noises when startled by predators.

Fea’s muntjacs are likely polygynous (males have more than one female as a mate at one time). Males may compete for access to females by sparring with antlers or fighting using their fang-like canines, although little is known directly about Fea’s muntjacs mating. Fea’s muntjacs likely breeds year-round as do other subtropical muntjacs, but breeding may be concentrated in winter months. The thinner pedicles compared to other members of subfamily Cervinae suggest that intraspecific fighting with antlers in males may have a less important role in competition for mates than in other muntjacs.

Little is known about the reproduction of Fea’s muntjacs, but there are likely many similarities to other muntjacs. Reeves’s muntjacs Reeves’s muntjacs have a gestation period of 8.1 months days, with most females reaching sexual maturity by twelve months of age. In Reeves’s muntjacs, half of conceptions studied in one captive population occurred during the two-week long estrus period that females undergo immediately after giving birth. The number of offspring is usually one. Young Fea’s muntjacs stay with their mother until they reach maturity. Fathers have little to do with raising the young. On average females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at 12 months.

Leaf Muntjacs

leaf muntjac

Leaf muntjacs (Muntiacus putaoensis) are also known as Leaf deer. Living in the Indo-Malayan ecozone and the Sino-Himalayan subregion in Asia in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, northern Myanmar (Burma) and China, they occupy isolated mountainous regions in a variety of forest types including tropical evergreen rainforests, sub-tropical hill forests and warm and cool temperate rainforests at elevations of 800 to 3000 meters (2625 to 9843 feet). In China, leaf muntjacs have been described along the western escarpment of the Yunnan Province and in mid-temperate areas with high floral densities. [Source:Deanna Gigliotti, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Leaf muntjacs are among the smallest known muntjacs. Their common name is derived from the practice of hunters wrapping their small bodies in a single Phrynium capitatum leaf. Their scientific name is derived from the town they where they were first discovered, Putao, Myanmar.

Little is known about leaf muntjacs and they are rarely seen in the wild. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List they are listed as Data Deficient. Data is difficult to collect due to solitary nature of these animals and the rough terrain in their habitat. They are exploited for meat, skins and body parts by local people in places where they live and are reportedly easy to capture with bear traps and are often shot by hunters. Other than humans, there are no documented predators specific to leaf muntjacs. But predators may include tigers, leopards, Asian black bears and Asiatic wild dogs.

Leaf muntjacs are herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) and are recognized as frugivores (fruit eating). Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, fruit and flowers. It is suspected that leaf muntjacs are selective browsers of dense forests. The majority of their stomach contents revealed by stomach content analyses consisted of partially digested fruits.

Leaf Muntjac Characteristics

Leaf muntjacs are the smallest known species of muntjacs. Their average weight is 12 kilograms (26.43 pounds) and their average head and body length is 80 centimeters (31.50 inches). They stand an average of 50 centimeters (10 inches) at the shoulder and weigh no more than 15 kilograms (33 pounds). Their tail averages 10 centimeters (four inches) in length. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Ornamentation is different. Males have small anters but females do not and colorations are different.

Deanna Gigliotti wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Leaf muntjacs have small, rounded ears, with an average length of about 7.1 centimeters, which are more often than not, ripped and damaged. They have a patch of longer hair, forming a tuft in their forehead region. Generally, leaf muntjacs are similar to common muntjacs, with reddish yellow fur and a darkened anterior portion of their legs. They have dark facial markings that extend to the crown of their heads and have white ventral fur. Fur coloration is variable, contingent on the particular individual, their age group, as well as the season of observation. Female leaf muntjacs have been noted to be darker in early spring than early summer. This variation in fur may be an adaptation to their woody environment and assist in avoiding predator detection. Leaf muntjacs fawns are a rich chestnut color, but in contrast to common or Reeve's muntjacs, leaf muntjacs fawns lack spots. As leaf muntjacs fawns age, their fur fades from a rich chestnut to the yellowish brown seen in adults. Leaf muntjacs fawns reach adult height by the first year after birth, but may not reach adult weight for several years./=\

Male leaf muntjacs antlers are relatively short, ranging from one to six centimeters and, consistent with other muntjacs, are grown on large pedicels. Contrary to other muntjacs, leaf muntjacs pedicels curve inward, causing the gap between the pointed, single-tine antlers to be small. Antlers are occasionally cast from deer that are at least 20 to 22 months old, but it is not a regular occurrence and is more commonly associated with older males. Most male cervids cast their antlers regularly and do not mate until after their antlers are hard again; however, muntjacs do not follow this pattern. /=\

A feature of leaf muntjacs that is not common to the entire genus is the presence of prominent frontal glands. Likewise, their skulls have large pre-orbital fossa (shallow, depressed area on a bone). Another unique feature of leaf muntjacs is the presence of tusks, formed from enlarged canines. These tusks have an average length of 2.4 centimeters and are often damaged or scraped. Their maximum skull length is about 20 centimeters, with an average of 17.5 centimeters. They have an average nasal length of 4.7 centimeters, an average nasal width of 1.6 centimeters and an average braincase width of 4.7 centimeters. Their dental formula is (i 0/3, c 1/1, pm 3/3, meters 3/3) X two = 34. /=\

Leaf Muntjac Behavior and Reproduction

range of the leaf muntjac

Leaf muntjac are cursorial (with limbs adapted to running), diurnal (active during the daytime), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and solitary. Due to the size of their canines and their often damaged ears, it has been hypothesized that there are aggressive encounters among leaf muntjacs. Surprisingly, females also have enlarged canines and show ear damage. Although, female ear damage is less frequent, it is still notable and suggests female leaf muntjacs are more aggressive than female muntjacs of other species.

Information regarding the behavior of leaf muntjacs is minimal but their behavior may be similar to closely related muntjacs such as Indian muntjacs who occupy dense, complex forests like leaf muntjacs. Indian muntjacs have a home range that is relatively small. Methods of communication specific to leaf muntjacs are not currently known but it is assumed they “bark” like other muntjacs.

Specific information on the mating systems of leaf muntjacs is not known. They do not exhibit regular birthing patterns; fawns are born during all months of the year. There are some reports though of higher reproductive outputs during certain times of the year. Pregnant and lactating females have been observed in early May, suggesting a higher breeding output in the late spring. The parental involvement of leaf muntjacs is unclear. However, reports of a sub-species of Indian muntjacs, indicate that female juveniles stay with their mothers longer than male juveniles. Fawns have been observed moving with their mothers, but usually spend their first two months immobile.

Newly Discovered Muntjacs in Vietnam

In 1994, the World Wildlife Fund confirmed the discovery of a new species of muntjac, or barking deer. About 50 percent larger than other muntjac species, the giant 45-kilogram (100-pound) muntjac was discovered by Western scientists in Nghe Tihn Province in Vu Qunag nature preserve, the same place where saola was discovered. The new species is distinguished from other muntjacs by its long, curving canine teeth, and large head and antlers. A live male muntjac deer was found in captivity in Laos. Blood samples were taken from it.

The new species was named the giant muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis) and is sometimes called the large-antlered muntjac, . At first it was placed in its own genus — Megamuntiacus — but it turned this move was muntjacs premature. mtDNA analysis shows that the level of divergence between the giant muntjac and other muntjacs are at the same level as other Muntiacus species and in other genera of cervids and thus the giant muntjac was placed in the genus Muntiacus.[Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Annamite muntjacs (Muntiacus truongsonensis) were discovered in the Annamite (Truong Son) mountain range in Vietnam in 1997. Also called Truong Son muntjacs, they are one of the smallest muntjac species, weighing about 15 kilograms (33 pounds), half the size of the southern red muntjac (Indian muntjac, common muntjac).

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025