Musk Deer

About Musk Deer:

• Musk deer (Moschidae) are small deer-like animals that belong to the family Moschidae.
• Appearance: Its coat is dark brown, mottled with paler, greyer hair underneath. It has whitish markings on its chin and ears.
• Habitat: They typically inhabit forests and brushlands at intermediate elevations and rocky slopes at altitudes between 2,600 and 3,000 meters.
• Distribution: They live in highland areas in central and northeastern Asia, particularly in western China, Myanmar and the Himalayas.
• Characteristics:
  • They are shy, usually feeding at night, and tend to live alone, occasionally in pairs but never in herds.
  • Musk deer lacks antlers.
  • The animal has well-developed side toes that give it a sure-footedness and allow to scamper around rocks in the snow and even climb trees.
  • Diet: Their diet includes both browse and graze, and they also consume some mosses and lichens
  • A musk deer pod is a specialised scent gland found in the abdomen of a male musk deer.
    • It produces a strong-smelling, reddish-brown secretion used in traditional perfumes and medicines.
  • A musk gland in males produces a strong scent used for communication/territorial marking.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I