GIANT MUNTJAC
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) /=]
Giant muntjacs are believed to be primarily herbivores (eat plants or plants parts), and are also classified as folivores (eat mainly leaves). No studies have been done on their diet but the principal vegetation found in the habitat of tehse animals is broad-leaved evergreen forests with an understory of bamboo, palms, and tree saplings. The diets of other muntjacs include grasses, shoots, and low growing leaves that are still tender. /=\
See Separate Articles: MUNTJACS (BARKING DEER): CHARACTERISTICS, BEHAVIOR, SUBSPECIES factsanddetails.com ; MUNTJAC SPECIES factsanddetails.com
Giant Muntjac Habitat and Where They Are Found
Giant muntjacs are native to western, central Vietnam, northeastern Cambodia and southeastern Laos, They live in forest and mountains at elevations of 500 to 1200 to meters (1640 to 3937 feet). They were first recorded in 1994 in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve located in Ha Tinh Province of north central Vietnam. [Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Giant muntjacs are primarily found in the Annamite Mountains on the border of Vietnam and Laos, but they also been found in Mondulkiri province of Cambodia, and in Annam, as far south as the Dalat Plateau. Along the mountains, antlers of giant muntjacs have been found in villages as far north as the Chat River and as far south as the village of Dakchung, although the true extent of its range is still unknown. /=\
The mountains where giant muntjacs are found are fairly rugged with a varying landscape of hills, plateaus, and valleys on the westward side. Their main habitat is old-growth broad-leaved evergreen forests with an understory of bamboo, palms, and tree saplings. These animals have also been seen in wet evergreen forests, dry evergreen forests, and mixed secondary forests of pine and evergreen. Local peoples say Giant muntjacs is rarer in degraded habitats and can be moderately common, rare, or absent depending on the forests condition.
Giant Muntjac Characteristics
Giant muntjacs range in weight from 30 to 50 kilograms (66 to 110 pounds). Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. male more colorful Ornamentation is different. [Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Dan Mico wrote in Animal Diversity Web: The fur of giant muntjacs is agouti brown and becomes darker toward the back. The limbs are dark brown to blackish. The fur on the belly, the inside of the legs, the anal area, and the underside of the tail is white. Male fur has been noted to become darker in December and January as antler growth stops and velvet dries. The tail of giant muntjacs are relatively short and triangle-shaped. Males have large canine teeth that project from the upper jaw. /=\
Although the general dimensions of giant muntjacs are not unique, there are four features that separate these animals as a species: short/stout pedicels, size and conformation of antlers, skull characteristics (length and shape of nasals), and a triangular tail. Antlers in males are larger than those of any other muntjac. They grow up and backward, with forking that creates a brow tine. Measured antlers had bean lengths of 17 to 28.5 centimeters (6.7 to 11.2 inches) and the brow tines were up to 9.8 centimeters (3.8 inches) long. The pedicels are very prominent and extend along the face as ridges. /=\
Giant Muntjac Behavior and Communication
Giant muntjacsare terricolous (live on the ground), diurnal (active during the daytime), nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and solitary.The home range size for giant muntjacs is not known. They are wary of humans as a result of heavy hunting pressure in its range. Although information is lacking for Giant muntjacs, males other species of muntjac are thought to be aggressive toward one another. They are also known to hybridize with red muntjacs. [Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Giant muntjacs sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. All muntjacs make a noise very similar to a dog's bark when they sense danger. This bark may be used in identification of individuals. Other means of communication have not been documented in this species, although, as mammals, it is likely that they use visual signals, tactile information (especially between mothers and their young, as well as mates), and olfactory cues. Other members of the genus are known to use scent marks to define territories. /=\
Giant Muntjac Mating, Reproduction and Offspring
Information on the reproduction of giant muntjac is not available. Based on the behavior of similar species of muntjac it is reasonable to assume that they are polygynous (males have more than one female as a mate at one time) and probably breed annually, with the average number of offspring being one. Giant muntjacs females have only been observed with single young and a female killed was carrying a 165-gram fetus. [Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
In Reeves’s muntjacs held in captivity, males formed a dominance heirarchy, and maintained exclusive home ranges, which they defended and scent marked. In feral populations in England, the approximately 20 hectares home ranges of males of Reeves’s muntjac overlap with the smaller (12 hectares) home ranges of females. This distribution might have reproductive significance.
Gestations around 209-220 days have been reported in muntjac species, and the young of these animals are reported to weigh about one kilograms. However, the giant muntjac is much larger than other members of the genus, so the young may also be larger. No information is available on the parental behavior of these animals. However, muntjac females typically give birth to young in the dense jungle, where they remain hidden until they can move around with their mothers.
Giant Muntjacs, Humans and Conservation
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List giant muntjacs are listed as Endangered. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they are in Appendix I, which lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. [Source: Dan Mico, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
In 1994, giant muntjacs were protected under Appendix I in CITES. Laos and Vietnam have taken steps to help protect the area's biodiversity by creating several National Biodiversity Conservation Areas in and near the Annamite Mountains, where the animals are found. The Nakai-Nam Theun Natioanl Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos may be a core area for giant muntjac populations. This area is contiguous with the Vu Quang Nature Reserve in Vietnam. /=\
The conservation of giant muntjacs have been hindered by government development policies, a lack of funding and trained workers, hunting in conservation areas by local people and the extensive use of slash and burn farming. Local people hunt giant muntjacs for their meat. An adult female was observed being attacked by an Asian dhole (Cuon alpinus) when local hunters killed it.
Annamite Muntjacs
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). Little is known about the diet of Annamite muntjacs. While most munjacs are herbivorous, Reeves’s muntjac is known to be omnivorous, eating carrion and small animals.
Annamite muntjacs were thought to be the rediscovered Roosevelt muntjacs, which were thpught to have been extinct since 1929, as they have similar appearance. However, genetic tests have revealed that Annamite muntjacs are a unique species. Its late discovery has been attributed to a lack of research in the Annamite Range. This area borders Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia and has been the site of warfare and is also inaccessible and comprised of very rough terrain. [Source: Emilia Breitenbach, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]
Annamite muntjacs live in tropical areas in forests and rainforests at elevations up to 1000 meters (3281 feet). They are named after the Annamite Mountain Range in Vietnam where they were discovered. Their presence has been confirmed in the Hoang Lien Son Range in the Lao Cai province of Vietnam and Southern Laos. Annamite muntjacs are mountain-dwelling animals that prefer dense, tropical, secondary, evergreen forests.
Little is known about Annamite muntjac numbers and their potential conservation needs as they are difficult to distinguishing from closely related muntjacs species and the places they live are remote and difficult to explore. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List they are listed as Data Deficient. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. Like many other muntjacs, they may be hunted for their meat and skins. Natural predators may include tigers, leopards, and crocodiles.
Annamite Muntjac Characteristics, Behavior and Reproduction
According to Animal Diversity Web: The exact size of Annamite muntjacs is unknown, but it has been described to be approximately 15 kilograms by local hunters. It has black fur on its legs and bright orange fur on its head. Dorsal fur is brown and it has a broad flat tail with black dorsal fur and long white ventral fur which distinguishes it from its similar sized relative, Roosevelt’s muntjac. It has white rings surrounding each hoof. Similar to other muntjac species, Annamite muntjacs has ridges running from the top of the snout to the apex of the head, which give rise to short, simple, burred antlers that are hidden by tufts of long fur at the top of the head. Like those of many species of Muntiacus, the canines of Annamite muntjacs are long and tusk-like. Annamite muntjacs is the only muntjac species in which females and males have similarly sized canines. No description has been given of juvenile Annamite muntjacs. However, many related cervids, including species in Muntiacus, have young with spotted coats.
Annamite muntjacs are cursorial (with limbs adapted to running), terricolous (live on the ground), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and solitary. They are social only during breeding season. Their home range is unknown but range size appears to be independent of topography or resource availability. They sense using vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected with smell and communicate with sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also employ pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species) and scent marks produced by special glands and placed so others can smell and taste them. Many species of Muntiacus are somewhat vocal, but it is not known if Annamite muntjacs is included among them. Males "buzz" when approaching a female in estrus, and receptive females whine and lower their heads to males. Vocal species use barking as an alarm system to warn of potential dangers such as predators.
The mating system of Annamite muntjacs is unknown. Other species in the genus, including northern red muntjacs and Reeves’s muntjacs, mate year round. Male Reeves’s muntjac defend territories that overlap with those of females. Muntjacs living in similar habitats as Annamite muntjacs are polygynous and aseasonal breeders.
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