Moschus chrysogaster
TAXONOMY
Moschus chrysogaster (Hodgson, 1839), Nepal.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Alpine musk deer; French: Porte-musk; German: Moschushirsch; Spanish: Ciervo almizclero de montana.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Shoulder height: 20–21 in (51–53 cm); body length: 2.8–3.3 ft (86–100 cm); tail length: 1.6–2.4 in (4–6 cm); weight: 24–40 lb (11–18 kg). General color is light grizzled brown; on the chest is a wide vertical whitish yellow stripe, which extends up the throat to the chin. Tail is hairless, but has a small tuff at the end. Ears are long.
DISTRIBUTION
Along Himalayas in Nepal, northern India, southern China, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Pakistan.
HABITAT
Elevations of 6,600–14,100 ft (2,000–4,300 m). They use forest and shrub land, dwarf rhododendron, alpine woods, low shrubs on eastern and southern edges of Tibet, and the slopes of the Himalayas. They choose slopes that are not very steep in oak and fir woods with birch, pine, juniper, and bushes. Grasses and lichens in under story are very important for their habitats.
BEHAVIOR
Home range of a buck overlaps home ranges of several does; bucks fiercely defend their territories from rivals. Musk deer are active from dusk to dawn when they alternate feeding and rest; they are vigilant for predators. They dare to appear in clearings at night, though remain hidden in thickets during the day. When they hear a signal of danger, they make a loud double hiss, and flee.
Musk deer stay in their home ranges the entire year, using an area of 2,200 acres (900 ha) for bucks and 740 acres (300 ha) for does. Home range comprises traditional trails, feeding places, watering points, and rocky promontories to escape from predators. Sometimes, several neighbors share the only steep outcrop in an area. Piles of wood and shrub thickets also serve as a cover from enemies. Main predators are yellow-throated marten, fox, wolf, and lynx.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
In winter and autumn, they feed mostly on forbs, leaves of oak, gaultheria, and shrubs. In spring and summer, forbs, lichens, herbs, and moss are main food.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Polygamous. Gestation lasts 6.5 months, with one or two fawns per birth. Rut goes in December–January, calving in May–June. Fawns stay hidden in thickets where mother comes to nurse them. Weaning occurs at three to four months. Sexual maturity is reached at 1.5 to two years. Life expectancy high, 12–20 years, but actual lifespan is about three years in the wild and two to four years on farms.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Lower Risk/Near Threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Commercial game species, mainly due to musk.
