Indian muntjac

Muntiacus muntjak

TAXONOMY

Muntiacus muntjak (Zimmermann, 1780), Java, Indonesia.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Muntjac, barking deer.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Length: 35–53.2 in (89–135 cm); shoulder height: 15.7–25.6 in (40–65 cm); tail length: 5.2–9 in (13–23 cm); weight: 33.1–77.2 lb (15–35 kg); males usually larger than females. Males have small, simple antlers (about 6 in [150 mm]) with long burrs, only one branch with a broad and hairy pivot; females have tufts of hair and small bony knobs that are at the location of antlers in males; both have short coats of hair that can be thick and dense for those living in cooler climates, or thin and less dense for those living in warmer areas. Color of coat is golden tan on the dorsal side, white on the ventral side, and the limbs and face are dark brown to reddish brown. Ears have very little hair; also have tusk-like upper canine teeth measuring about 1 in (200 mm) in males.

DISTRIBUTION

Northeastern Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, southern China, Hainan (China), Vietnam, Malay Peninsula and some nearby islands, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra and Nias Island to the west, Bangka, Belitung Island, Java, Bali, and Borneo.

HABITAT

Tropical deciduous and tropical scrub forests, tropical rainforests, areas of dense vegetation, hilly country, savannas and grasslands, and monsoon forests; stays close to a water source; specifically, on the slopes of the Himalayas, they climb to more than 6,560 ft (2,000 m) of altitude.

BEHAVIOR

Adults are solitary (sometimes moving in pairs or small family groups), except during rutting when home ranges overlap for a short period of time; displays diurnal and nocturnal activity. When sensing detection of predator, they emit sounds similar to a barking dog that may last for more than an hour in order to make predator show itself or leave the area, and may bark more frequently when its environment reduces its ability to see and when the male is rutting (small cries that may approach level of barking). Predators include pythons, jackals, tigers, leopards, and crocodiles.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

Omnivorous, typically feeds on the edges of forests or in abandoned clearings, both as a browser and as a grazer; feeding on herbs, fruit, birds' eggs, small animals, sprouts, seeds, and grasses; typically feeds on the edges of forests or in abandoned clearings, they use their canine teeth to bite and their forelegs to deliver strong blows in order to catch small warm-blooded animals.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Polygamous. Females sexually mature in first year of life; they are polyestrous with the estrous cycle lasting 14–21 days and the estrus lasting about two days; no distinct breeding season occurs; usually bear one young at a time; gestation period is about 180 days and birth weight is usually 19.4–22.9 oz (550–650 g). Young leaves territory of mother when it is about six months old to find its own territory; adult may allow an immature male (without complete antlers so are not aggressive and unable to mate) into its territory.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened. Believed to number about 140,000–150,000 in China.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

Indian pheasants hunters use muntjac barking noises as warning signals of approaching predators. The muntjac is hunted for its meat and skins. Heavy populations can destroy trees by tearing off bark, leading to loss of food sources and wood for shelter and fuel.