Saber-toothed deer. Kashmir Musk Deer. How long does a musk deer live

Musk deer is an artiodactyl animal that looks like a deer, but unlike it, does not have horns. But the musk deer has another means of protection - fangs growing on the upper jaw of the animal, because of which this essentially harmless creature was even considered a vampire drinking the blood of other animals.

Description of musk deer

Musk deer occupies an intermediate place between deer and real. This animal belongs to the musk deer family, which includes one modern genus of musk deer and many extinct species of saber-toothed deer. Of the living artiodactyls, the closest relatives of the musk deer are deer.

Appearance

Musk deer can rarely grow to more than 1 meter in length. The height at the withers of the largest observed individual does not exceed 80 cm. Usually, the growth of this animal is even less: up to 70 cm at the withers. Musk deer weighs from 11 to 18 kg. One of its most interesting features is that the length of the front limbs of this amazing animal is one third shorter than the hind limbs, which is why the sacrum of the musk deer is 5 or 10 cm higher than the withers.

Her head is small, shaped like a triangle in profile. Wide in the skull, but tapering towards the end of the muzzle, and in the male the anterior part of the head is more massive than in the females of this species. The ears are quite large and set high - almost on top of the head. With their rounded ends, they are more like kangaroo ears than deer ears. The eyes are not too large and protruding, but at the same time expressive, like in other deer and related species. Lacrimal pits, typical of many other artiodactyls, are not present in representatives of this genus.

It is interesting! One of the most remarkable features of the musk deer is the thin, slightly curved fangs on the upper jaw, resembling small tusks that both females and males have. Only in females, fangs are small and can hardly be seen, while in males, the length of fangs reaches 7-9 cm, which makes them a formidable weapon, equally suitable for protection from predators and for tournaments between representatives of the same species.

The fur of this animal is thick and long, but at the same time brittle. Color brown or brownish. Juveniles have blurry light gray spots on their backs and sides. The hairline consists mainly of an awn, the undercoat is weakly expressed. However, it is precisely due to the density of its fur that the musk deer does not freeze even in the most severe Siberian winters, and the thermal insulation of its fur is such that snow does not even melt under the animal lying on the ground. In addition, the wool of this animal does not get wet, which allows it to easily stay afloat when crossing water bodies.

The body of the musk deer due to its thick coat seems somewhat more massive than it actually is. The forelegs are straight and strong. The hind limbs are muscular and strong. Due to the fact that the hind legs are longer than the front ones, they are strongly bent at the knees and often the animal places them at an angle, which makes it seem as if the musk deer moves as if crouching. The hooves are medium-sized and pointed, with well-developed lateral toes.
The tail is so small in size that it can hardly be seen under the thick and rather long fur.

Behavior, lifestyle

Musk deer prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle: even family groups of 2-4 individuals of this species can be seen infrequently. In such groups, animals behave peacefully, but they are wary and even hostile towards other members of their own species. Males mark their territory, which, depending on the season, is 10-30 hectares. Moreover, they do this with the help of special musk glands located on their stomach.

During the mating season, there are often serious fights between male musk deer, sometimes ending in the death of one of the rivals. But the rest of the time, these artiodactyls lead a quiet and calm lifestyle.

Thanks to its subtle hearing, the animal perfectly hears the crackling of breaking branches or the crunch of snow under the paws of a predator approaching it, and therefore it is very difficult to take it by surprise. Only on the most severe winter days, when blizzards and snowstorms rage, and in the forest crackle from frost and tree branches break because of the wind, musk deer can not even hear the approach of a predatory animal, for example, a wolf pack or a connecting rod bear, and not be in time hide from him.

It is interesting! Individuals of this species, living in mountainous areas, have developed their own way of escaping from predators: they simply go along narrow ledges and cornices hanging over bottomless abysses to a safe place, where they wait out the threat of attack. The musk deer succeeds in this due to its inherent natural dexterity and evasiveness, thanks to which it can jump over mountain ledges and pass along narrow cornices hanging over cliffs.

This is a dexterous and evasive animal, able to confuse the trail and abruptly change direction on the run. But it cannot run for a long time: it quickly gets tired and is forced to stop in order to catch its breath.

How long does a musk deer live

In the wild habitat, musk deer, on average, lives from 4 to 5 years. In captivity, its life span increases by 2-3 times and reaches 10-14 years.

sexual dimorphism

The main difference between males and females is the presence of thin, elongated fangs, reaching a length of 7-9 cm. Females also have fangs, but they are much smaller and almost invisible, while the fangs of males are visible from afar. In addition, the male has a wider and more massive skull, or rather, its front part, and the supraorbital processes and arches are much better than in females. As for the differences in coat color or sizes of animals of different sexes, they are expressed slightly.

Species of musk deer

In total, seven living species of the musk deer genus are known:

• Siberian musk deer. It lives in Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, northwest and northeast China, as well as on the Korean Peninsula.
• Himalayan musk deer. As the name suggests, it lives in the Himalayas.
• Red-bellied musk deer. Lives in the central and southwestern regions of China, in southern Tibet, as well as in Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India.
• Berezovsky's musk deer. It inhabits the central and southern regions of China and the northeast of Vietnam.
• Anhui musk deer. Endemic to Anhui Province in eastern China.
• Kashmiri musk deer. Lives in northern India, Pakistan and possibly northeast Afghanistan.
• Black musk deer. It lives in northern China, in Burma, as well as in India, Bhutan and Nepal.

Range, habitats

The most famous of all modern musk deer, the Siberian musk deer, lives on a vast range: in Eastern Siberia, in the east of the Himalayas, as well as on Sakhalin and Korea. At the same time, she prefers to settle in mountain, mainly coniferous, forests, where it would be difficult for predatory animals or people to reach her.

Important! Due to the fact that the musk deer is a shy and very cautious animal, it tries to stay in places that are difficult for humans to reach: in thickets of bushes, in dense fir or spruce mountain forests, as well as on steep hills.

As a rule, it adheres to the border of 600-900 meters above sea level, although sometimes it can rise to the mountains up to 1600 meters. But in the Himalayas and in Tibet, it can also climb cliffs located 3000 meters above sea level. If necessary, it can climb such steep mountain cliffs, where people would be able to climb only using climbing equipment.

Musk deer diet

In winter, the diet of musk deer is almost 95% made up of various lichens, which it mainly eats from wind-blown trees. At the same time, while collecting food, this artiodactyl can climb a vertically growing tree trunk by 3-4 meters and even deftly jump from branch to branch. In the warm season, the “menu” of representatives of this species becomes more diverse due to fir or cedar needles, as well as blueberry leaves, ferns, horsetails and some umbrella plants. However, the animal can eat needles at any time of the year, including in winter.

It is interesting! The musk deer is very careful about the lichens growing on the territory of its site: even in the most hungry time, it tries not to eat them completely, but gradually collects them so that they can continue to grow in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe forest chosen by the animal.

Moreover, it can be said that it is the needles of fir or cedar that enrich its meager diet with vitamins in the cold season, and the phytoncides contained in the needles, among other things, serve as a kind of medicine and protect the musk deer from diseases.

At the same time, in the warm season, she mainly tries to eat other plant foods so that the lichens have time to recover before the next winter.

Reproduction and offspring

From November or December, males begin to mark their territory: they can place up to 50 marks per day. At this time of the year, they become especially aggressive: they protect their possessions and females from the encroachments of rivals. During the rut, real fights without rules often take place between males, which sometimes even end in death.

True, at first the animals only try to intimidate each other and force them to retreat without a duel. When meeting, the males walk in circles around the opponent at a distance of 5-7 meters from him, while rearing the hair on the body and baring fangs of impressive size. As a rule, the younger male does not withstand this show of power from the stronger opponent and retreats without having entered the battle. If this does not happen, then a fight begins and strong hooves and sharp fangs are already being used.

Animals forcefully hit each other with their front legs on the back and croup, while jumping high, which makes such a blow even more powerful. With fangs, a male musk deer can inflict serious injuries on his opponent, and, sometimes, even the fangs themselves cannot withstand the force of the blow and break off. After mating takes place in December or January, the female gives birth to one or two cubs after 185-195 days of pregnancy.

It is interesting! Babies are born in the summer and within a few hours after their birth, they are left to their own devices. The female takes them away from the place where the cubs were born and leaves them alone.
But at the same time, the musk deer does not go far from the children: it guards them and feeds them with milk twice a day for 3-5 months. Upon reaching this age, young animals can already live independently.

But do not think that the musk deer is a bad mother. All the time while her cubs are helpless and dependent on her, the female is close to the babies and carefully monitors whether there is any predator nearby. If the threat of an attack becomes real, the mother musk deer warns her offspring with sound signals and peculiar jumps that the enemy is nearby and it is necessary to hide.

Moreover, the female, even at the risk of her own life, tries to draw the attention of the predator not to the babies, but to herself, and, when she succeeds, takes him away from her cubs. These artiodactyls reach puberty at 15-18 months, after which they can already begin to breed in the very first mating season.

Because of the consonance with the word "muscat", many people think that musk is a nut. Or resin, or fruit, or oriental spice. In fact, the word musk comes from the ancient Indian "muskah" - "testicle". As a person who knows a lot about musk, if not everything, then for many years I have been debunking the myths about this “magic” powder.

Musk is an animal product. In the Sayans, the mountains of Altai, Transbaikalia and Primorye, a funny animal lives - the musk deer. The Latin name for the musk deer is Moschus moschiferus, which means "giving musk". Musk deer is an artiodactyl, similar to a miniature deer, therefore it is sometimes called a deer with a fatal aroma, and also a musky ram. The musk deer looks awkward and awkward: the rear part of the body is massive, and the hind legs are much longer than the front ones. Musk deer is a solitary animal.

Males need to lure females to mate each year. This problem is solved with the help of an attractive smell.

But males need to lure females to mate each year. This problem is successfully solved with the help of an attractive smell. On the abdomen of males, next to the urogenital canal, there is a musk gland - a sac in which black fragrant musk grains are synthesized. In winter, during the rut, males leave odorous marks everywhere. Intoxicated females flock to this smell like moths; the aroma is so strong that it even stimulates heat.

Princess on the Pea. Among environmental organizations, musk is no less controversial than elephant tusks or the skins of Amur tigers. One male musk deer produces a maximum of 20 grams of musk per year. According to our estimates (Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences), legal and illegal exports of musk from Russia over a 16-year period (from 1990 to 2006) amounted to 820 kilograms, and the turnover was 41 million US dollars. It turns out that in order to provide a huge sales market, only in Russia every year you need to kill two and a half thousand male musk deer.

Already at the beginning of the 20th century, it became clear: for both humans and animals, it is more profitable to farm musk deer and select musk from live males. But breeding musk deer turned out to be not as easy as cows or sheep. The musk deer is extremely fastidious, it requires a person to create special, extremely comfortable conditions for it.

Firstly, musk deer are easily frightened. When danger appears (for example, when meeting a person), the musk deer prefers to flee. Usually a frightened musk deer runs 50–60 meters and then stops. If the enclosure is not large enough, the musk deer can run into the fence and get a serious head injury. Adult females are the most shy, and the calmest are two-year-old males. In any case, breeding enclosures should be spacious, 100 meters long and 70 meters wide.

Secondly, the musk deer loves deep dark coniferous forests. The musk deer family separated from the common trunk of artiodactyls 26 million years ago in the expanses of Central Asia. The first mention of musk deer in the kingdom of Yerginul (on the territory of modern China) is found by the Venetian merchant Marco Polo in the 13th century: “The animal is like a gazelle, ... its hair is thick like that of a deer, its legs are like those of a gazelle, there are no horns ... ". The musk deer resembles the gazelle not only in size: this deer is also refined and shy. Naughty nerves are best calmed in the shade of the forest - shady areas are best suited for stress relief. Therefore, in captivity for musk deer, you need to arrange shrubs, tall grasses and create huts from spruce branches in which the animal can retire.

But that's not all: a conscientious breeder has to arrange imitations of rocks in an aviary: musk deer often escapes from enemies on the ledge of a rock. This behavioral feature is used when catching the "fatal deer": dogs chase the poor animal until it climbs a rocky ledge. Since the musk deer hides on the same ledge for many years, a catcher with a noose can safely wait for a frightened animal from above - success is guaranteed to him.

The fangs of male musk deer give the animal a menacing appearance, but in reality the musk deer eats only plant foods.

The third condition set by the musk deer is special food. One of my acquaintances told how, on a trip to Altai, she was frightened by local residents, who said that musk deer is found in the forest, “a special kind of deer that grows huge fangs and feeds on carrion and human flesh.” The fangs of male musk deer, of course, give the animal a menacing appearance, but in reality, musk deer, as befits herbivores, eats only plant foods.

In the course of a long evolution, the musk deer has adapted to eat lichens. In winter, when there is no other food, the share of tree and ground lichens in the diet of this deer reaches 95 percent. As often happens, the animal became addicted to lichens out of necessity, but now it cannot live without them.

The fourth distinctive feature of a deer with a fatal smell is the relationship between males and females. Musk deer form two types of family pairs. One of them is conservative and archaic - the union of an adult male and a young female. The second type of union: a pair of young individuals. It is these families that persist throughout the life of animals. Adult animals of the same age strongly conflict and even arrange fights. This circumstance also complicates the breeding of musk deer.

In addition, immediately after birth, the cubs leave their mother and hide in undersized bushes: try to tame offspring that shun their own mother. Realizing that the domestication of musk deer is extremely difficult, if not impossible, we zoologists realized that we should not hope for much. Taming a musk deer will, at best, reduce the defensive distance in relation to a person.

Magic powder. And yet the resulting musk justifies the laborious breeding of musk deer. Man appreciated the charm of this amazing substance and discovered its healing properties 5 thousand years ago. In Tibetan and Chinese medicine, musk was used long before the birth of Christ. The German researcher F. Hubotter wrote in 1913: “It is sharp, warm, fragrant, gives a feeling of lightness, penetrates meat and kidneys, has a quick effect on all types of gases, pneuma and blood, relieves pain, dilates all orifices of the body, opens the veins . It cures fearfulness, dispels poisons and kills worms, helps with fever, runny nose and deafness. During the reign of the Tang Dynasty (8th century AD), musk becomes very fashionable in China: it is even used to give a pleasant smell to the walls of pavilions. From China, the musk glands were brought to the Arab countries, the Arabs, in turn, shared the "musky secret" with the Europeans.

A substance that has a specific biological purpose - to promote the reproduction of musk deer, has become a magic powder, a cure for all diseases. In the Middle Ages, musk was used as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent during epidemics of cholera and plague. In the era of the English kings of the Tudors, musk was added to medicines for melancholy. Until the middle of the 19th century, European physicians prescribed musk for impotence, paralysis, nervous disorders, infectious diseases, bronchial asthma, as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy, various spasms of smooth muscles, colic, as well as to stimulate miscarriages and from the evil eye.

We need him alive. And today, musk deer musk is one of the most effective components of medicines. In perfumery, musk is valued for its ability to fix odors, although it has its own tart aroma. But you can meet natural musk only as part of expensive Chanel, Givenchy, Guerlain, Rochasa. More often, artificially synthesized compounds with a musky odor are used and the so-called vegetable musk is the essential oil of the Egyptian rose, which can fix aromas. The decline in the popularity of musk among perfumers is simply explained: it is very expensive.

In 2007, the purchase price for Siberian musk deer musk from hunters reached 9–12 US dollars per gram. The technology for obtaining odorous material from living males was first developed by Russian scientists in the 50s of the last century. A tube was inserted into the duct of the musky gland, and then the sac was pressed, and a stream of secretion was sprayed out. This method was good for obtaining the pasty musk of young males, but the concentrated mature grains of adults (the most valuable) cannot be “squeezed out” through a straw.

On Chinese farms, musk is squeezed out after local anesthesia has been given to the animal. Such selection is rather rough and leads to the necrosis of the musk gland, the cessation of its secretion, which causes stress and even death of the animal. Our technology, developed at the Chernogolovka scientific and experimental base near Moscow, does not lead to disastrous consequences. The secret is that before extracting the musk, males are injected with a solution of ketamine and xylazine, substances that block the activity of the cerebellum and the cortical layer of the brain. This causes superficial sleep, complete immobilization and loss of sensation. Then, carefully, so as not to damage the inner lining of the gland, the precious substance is removed with a small spoon. The average weight of the collected material from one male is 6.31 grams.

Save the musk deer. The first attempts to keep musk deer in captivity were made as early as the 18th century. There is a known case of keeping a musk sheep in France, in the Versailles menagerie (1772). The musk deer was delivered to the London Zoo in 1869, but due to the lack of shelters and improper feeding, it died after seven months. The Duke of Bedford Woburn-Abby bred musk deer on his estate and even got the first offspring. But still, the duke's animals did not take root and after a while they died.

In the 20th century, human perseverance defeated animal stubbornness. Before the Great Patriotic War, musk deer breeding was established in the Altai Reserve, later in the Stolby Reserve. Now the musk deer feels great on farms in Russia, China, and India. The main exporters of dry musk are Russia and China. But the amount of substance obtained on the farms of China is still negligible: only 6 kilograms of musk per year. Therefore, the world market for the secret of the “fatal deer” at the beginning of the 21st century is completely dependent on supplies from Russia.

It is clear that the extermination of musk deer is almost impossible to stop: the protests of environmentalists are nothing compared to the pressure of commercial organizations that sell musk and musk deer skin, from which excellent suede is made. In general, the existence of musk deer has been under threat since the 19th century. In Russia, in 1855 alone, 81.2 thousand musk glands were harvested. In 1845, the number of musk deer in the Russian part of the range was 250 thousand individuals. And in the first third of the 20th century, it did not exceed 10 thousand. In the post-war years, the musk deer restored its numbers and expanded its range until the early 1990s, when the demand for musk increased sharply. A significant part of the odorous product was extracted and exported from Russia illegally through canals in the Far East. The deal was very profitable: in 1992, in the port of Nakhodka, you could buy a used foreign car for 25 glands. By 2011, the illegal export of musk gained momentum.

Musk deer are exterminated even under the guise of ecological expertise. Forest fires also contribute to the decline in the number of "fatal deer". We can only contribute to the development of farming in Russia: musk deer breeding seems to us promising and relevant both for the economy and for the conservation of the species.

What, what's in his mouth? Fangs, right? Are you laughing? Don't make fools out of us - this is photoshop and the baby understands. Such deer do not exist in nature, maybe only in ancient times there were such. Now we cannot be deceived ... or still ...

Let's find out now!

And yet this is a real animal that lives at the same time as us.

Deer are generally presented to us as cute and harmless animals. They are quite timid, feed on grass and leaves, and can only harm if they hit someone with their hoof. Interestingly, some representatives of the deer family have fangs.

Nature deprived him of the main attribute of relatives, bringing him into a separate group of hornless deer, as a result of which he had to grow two magnificent fangs, which serve as an excellent means of protection from enemies and getting rid of unwanted competitors during the mating season. Everyone's favorite deer Bambi could have been like this if he had been born a water deer.

In the wild, this species of deer lives in humid areas in the Yangtze River Delta, along the banks of lakes and rivers in east-central China, as well as on the Korean Peninsula. Water deer can be seen grazing in the high reed beds and green foothills, or resting in the soft soil of plowed and sown fields.

Water deer are excellent swimmers, and to change scenery or find a new pasture, they are able to swim several kilometers, moving between the coastal Chinese islands.

These fanged creatures, resembling ordinary roe deer in appearance, lead an absolutely vegetarian lifestyle, but are more demanding in the choice of food than their relatives. They raid cultivated fields and eat not only weeds, but the crop itself. Favorite delicacy - tender sedge sprouts, juicy green grass, young leaves of shrubs.

The main distinguishing feature of the water deer is its long curved fangs, growing in adult males from 5.5 to 8 centimeters. The fangs are movably located in the upper jaw and are controlled by the facial muscles. An adult male water deer can use them like a folding knife - while eating, they are removed back, and in case of danger or a showdown with rivals, they move forward, representing a very formidable weapon.

Many scars were left by these sharp fangs on the necks and heads of other males during the mating season. In case of danger, the deer lowers its lower lip and tightly compresses both jaws, showing the enemy a formidable grin, which assigned the name “deer-vampire” to its owner.

Water deer are solitary animals, remembering relatives only at the height of the mating season. Between the fingers of the males are special glands that produce a fluid with which they mark the territory. They take the issue of personal ownership of land very seriously and do not like it when uninvited guests encroach on their habitats.

To preserve the inviolability of their personal territory, water deer are not limited to the production of an odorous liquid - for greater fidelity, they pluck the grass around their plot of land, thus marking its boundaries. But even this seems to them not enough, and they lay out the branches of young trees along the edges of the site, having previously marked them with saliva.

The means of communication between water deer are variations of sounds reminiscent of dog barking. So water deer bark at people, and also at other deer, sometimes for unknown reasons. During mating, they make characteristic clicking sounds, probably with the help of molars. Females ready to mate call the male with a low whistle or a high-pitched sound like a screech.

There is also this one crested deer(lat. Elaphodus cephalophus) from China, which has a strange appearance: its protruding fangs are long about 2.5 centimeters reminiscent of vampire fangs.

This deer looks completely different from the usual representatives of this family. First of all, the crested deer differs from most of its relatives in its small size. On average, its height at the withers is about 50 cm, and the body length is 110 cm. The body is covered with wool, the color of which can be dark gray, brown or chocolate brown. The head, neck and lower body are reddish in color. Only the tips of the ears, lips, areas around the eyes and the inside of the tail are painted white. But the most important distinguishing feature of the crested deer is a dark crest formed from fur, because of which the horns are not visible, since its height reaches 17 cm. The presence of fangs protruding from the mouth like a vampire also distinguishes these animals from other members of the deer family. Many scientists believe that deer use strange fangs during mating battles. Others explain the presence of fangs by the need to strip the bark from trees.

Like most ungulates, these deer feed on plant foods, namely tree leaves, berries and grass. There is evidence that these animals do not refuse carrion. So crested deer are unique in that they can have meat in their diet.

These deer prefer a solitary lifestyle and communicate with each other only during the breeding season. The sounds that they make from afar can be mistaken for a dog barking. Animals are very shy, like all their relatives. Therefore, they are active only at dusk or at dawn. At the slightest danger, the animal rushes to its heels, lifting its tail and demonstrating its white spot, thus warning other deer of the impending disaster.

Despite the fact that these deer can settle down near human habitation, they lead a secretive lifestyle. Therefore, they are little studied, and there are often quite contradictory information about these animals. One is certain. Recently, crested deer are found only in China. Therefore, they are listed in the Red Book.

A little more about interesting animals: look what it is, and here it is, and here it is The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Musk deer is an animal that has given rise to many myths and superstitions. Its extraordinary appearance has long attracted the attention of naturalists, who were ready to easily travel hundreds of kilometers through the mountains, just to see this creature live. Even today, interest in him still has not faded.

What kind of miraculous animal is the musk deer, the description of which has so many curious facts? Why is it so remarkable? And why is it under the protection of the World Organization for the Protection of Animal Rights?

What a wondrous animal?

The animal musk deer is one of the true, it is very different from its closest relatives in both size and appearance. Another name for it is musk deer. The animal musk deer gained its fame due to two reasons: unusual fangs and musk.

This deer has two front fangs that grow from the upper jaw. Because of them, the musk deer gained fame as a vampire hunting other animals. Moreover, earlier people believed that this beast is an evil spirit, and shamans often hunted him in order to get teeth as a magical trophy.

The time of superstition has sunk into oblivion, but the persecution of these animals has not stopped. After all, the animal musk deer is known for another feature, namely musk. It was this substance that became the target of many poachers who were ready to destroy the whole species, just to get such a coveted reward.

Appearance

What does a musk deer look like? In the photo, the animal resembles a cross between a roe deer and a deer, though without horns. It just so happens that this species is completely devoid of bone growth on the head, as well as tear pits under the eyes.

The length of the musk deer rarely grows more than one meter. As for its height, at the moment the largest specimen seen was no more than 80 cm. At the same time, its weight ranges from 12 to 18 kilograms. The color of the coat can vary from dark brown to light brown.

The musk deer is an animal known for its long fangs. True, only males have them and can reach up to 7 cm in length. For musk deer, they serve as a tool of protection, and only during the mating season can gentlemen use them as a way to prove their superiority over others.

Animal musk deer: habitat

This animal prefers mountainous terrain, and therefore the main habitat of its habitat is indicated by the mountains of China and Tibet. But you can also meet him in Russia. So, musk deer is found on a very vast territory: starting from the lower Altai and ending with the Amur itself.

The favorite place of the musk deer is the forest. Therefore, this is where the animal spends most of its time. However, this does not mean that the deer does not wander high into the mountains. So, there is evidence that some individuals live in the Himalayas, at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level.

Musk deer habits

This type of deer is accustomed to a solitary lifestyle. This rule is violated only during the mating season, and then not for long. By the way, during mating games male musk deer become very aggressive towards each other. Quite often, their skirmishes lead to bloody fights on fangs, which is sometimes fatal.

In the rest of the year, they lead a quiet and measured lifestyle. They feed mainly on moss and fresh leaves. Therefore, the rumor that the musk deer drinks blood is just an empty superstition that has nothing to do with the truth.

In addition, the musk deer is very shy, any danger makes him run without looking back. At the same time, it is almost impossible to catch up with him. Due to the special structure of the body, he can change the trajectory of the run without even slowing down.

The Musk Hunt

In the old days, the musk deer population was not threatened. Her meat was not suitable for consumption, as it had an unpleasant aftertaste. As for the skin, although it retained heat, it was still much worse than that of other animals. So the only enemies of the deer were the shamans and mystics who harvested their fangs. But everything changed at the moment when Chinese alchemists began to use musk in their medicines.

For those who do not know, musk is a viscous substance that has a tart smell. Each male musk deer has a special gland that secretes this secret. It was she who became the object of hunting for many healers and healers. According to Chinese folk medicine, there are more than 200 potions and ointments infused with musk.

A little later, this substance began to be used in perfumery. Due to the astringency of the aroma, it quickly gained popularity among fashionistas and fashionistas of the time. Consequently, the pursuit of musk only intensified.

Ultimately, musk deer were hunted by everyone who wanted to make quick money. This led to the fact that the number of these animals decreased to such a limit that they were on the verge of complete extinction.

Fight for the rights of musk deer

Fortunately, the world is not without good people. A similar decline in the number of musk deer caused outrage from animal rights activists. And so they began to take active steps to protect them.

Thanks to their intervention, the musk deer was listed in the Red Book, and the poachers who hunt it were held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Such measures saved the animal from extinction, although the full restoration of the number of musk deer will not happen soon.

Beast in captivity

However, with the advent of a ban on hunting, the need for musk did not disappear. And so the farmers tried to breed a species that can live in captivity. The first attempts were unsuccessful, as the musk deer died very quickly. But over time, it still turned out to breed a breed that lives according to the rules of man.

True, as the farmers themselves assure, caring for her is still that job. In particular, a lot of trouble arises during the period when the males are ready to mate. Nevertheless, this approach greatly helped wild musk deer by reducing the demand for their glands.

• Previously, the appearance of musk deer in the vicinity of the village foreshadowed grief. Therefore, after such a visit, the shamans performed rituals to drive away evil spirits.
• Running away from the enemy, the musk deer behaves like a real hare. It winds from side to side, and in the event of a predator approaching, it can jump high and change its trajectory by 90 degrees with lightning speed.
• In 1845, the musk deer population was over 250,000 individuals. A hundred years later, this number dropped to 10,000, which was the signal to save the musk deer.

Musk deer is the smallest hornless deer. Despite the fact that musk deer belong to the deer family, they have neither horns nor tear pits under the eyes. And in males, in general, long fangs are located on the sides of the mouth, like a wild boar, which grow throughout life.

Due to the lack of horns familiar to us, the head of the musk deer looks small compared to the body. The fur of the animal is coarse and long, dark brown. Light spots stretch in rows on the back and sides. Large bulging eyes always look frightened.

2. In places where the musk deer lives, it is practically impossible for a person to pass: the slopes of rocks and cliffs have an almost vertical steepness. Musk deer, on the other hand, make their way here without difficulty, easily jumping from one boulder to another, never slipping. The soft horn rim on the hoof cover keeps it

3. Males have a gland that secretes 10-20 grams of natural musk. Males need to lure females to mate each year. This problem is solved with the help of an attractive smell.

4. Despite the huge fangs, the musk deer uses them only during the mating season to intimidate rivals.

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