Greater Malay mouse deer

Tragulus napu

TAXONOMY

Tragulus napu (F. Cuvier, 1822), south Sumatra, Indonesia.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

French: Grand chevrotain malais; German: Grosskantschil.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Similar to, but larger than its cousin, the lesser Malay mouse deer: head and body length: 2.3–2.5 ft (70–75 cm); tail length:3.2–4 in (8–10 cm); shoulder height: 12–14 in (30–35 cm); weight: 11–17.6 lb (5–8 kg). Upper coat is brown to orange-brown, and the underparts are white. The underside of the chin is white with a series of white markings. The hindquarters are lightly grizzled with black.

DISTRIBUTION

Southern Thailand and Indochina, Malay Peninsula, and several nearby islands, Sumatra, Borneo, North and South Natuna island, Balabac Island, Brunei Darussalem, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

HABITAT

In dense undergrowth at the edge of dense lowland forests, usually close to water.

BEHAVIOR

Nocturnal and rarely seen, it travels through small tunnel-like trails through thick brush. Both males and females are territorial and regularly mark their territories with urine, feces, and

secretions from an intermandibular gland under the chin. Adult females with young occupy range of 32.5–35 ac (13–14 ha); adult males range is 50–75 ac (20–30 ha). When agitated, they drum on the ground with their hooves at a rate of four times per second.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Primarily herbivorous, choosing buds, leaves, and fruit that has fallen to the ground. Presumably, it also feeds on arthropods and other animals when available, based on observations of other chevrotains.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Polygamous. Gestation lasts for about five months, after which the female generally gives birth to one or two young. Life expectancy is unknown. A single deer has lived for more than 16 years in captivity.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Tragulus napu and its subspecies are threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Subspecies T. n. nigricans is classified as Endangered by the IUCN (2000). The subspecies occurs on Balabac Island in the southwest Philippines and is threatened by intense hunting pressure and habitat destruction.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Hunted for food. Although it is also easy to tame as a pet or for research, it may be too delicate to survive in captivity for any length of time.