# Musk deer > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Musk_deer > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Musk_deer.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_deer > Source revision: 1354934994 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Genus of mammals}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Musk deer | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Late Miocene|recent}} | image = Musk deer in Edinburgh Zoo.jpg | image_caption = [Siberian musk deer](/source/Siberian_musk_deer) | parent_authority = [Gray](/source/John_Edward_Gray), 1821 | taxon = Moschus | authority = [Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae) | type_species = ''[Moschus moschiferus](/source/Moschus_moschiferus)'' | type_species_authority = [Linnaeus](/source/Linnaeus), 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = *''[M. anhuiensis](/source/Moschus_anhuiensis)'' – Anhui musk deer *''[M. berezovskii](/source/Moschus_berezovskii)'' – Dwarf musk deer *''[M. chrysogaster](/source/Moschus_chrysogaster)'' – Alpine musk deer *''[M. cupreus](/source/Moschus_cupreus)'' – Kashmir musk deer *''[M. fuscus](/source/Moschus_fuscus)'' – Black musk deer *''[M. leucogaster](/source/Moschus_leucogaster)'' – White-bellied musk deer *''[M. moschiferus](/source/Moschus_moschiferus)'' – Siberian musk deer | range_map = File:Moschidae distribution.png | range_map_caption = ''Moschus'' distribution. ''M. anhuiensis'' in orange, ''M. berezovskii'' in green, ''M. chrysogaster'' in red, ''M. cupreus'' in brown, ''M. fuscus'' in purple, ''M. leucogaster'' in yellow, and ''M. moschiferus'' in blue. }} '''Musk deer''' can refer to any one, or all eight, of the species that make up '''''Moschus''''', the only extant genus of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Moschidae](/source/Moschidae).{{cite web | publisher = University of Michigan Museum of Zoology | work = Animal Diversity Web | title = Moschus (musk deer) Classification | url = http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Moschus.html#Moschus }} Despite being commonly called deer, they are not true deer belonging to the family [Cervidae](/source/Cervidae), but rather their family is closely related to [Bovidae](/source/Bovidae), the group that contains antelopes, bovines, sheep, and goats. The musk deer family differs from cervids, or true deer, by lacking [antler](/source/antler)s and [preorbital gland](/source/preorbital_gland)s also, possessing only a single pair of [teats](/source/nipple), a [gallbladder](/source/gallbladder),{{Cite web|date=1875|title=On the structure and affinities of the musk-deer (''Moschus mosciferus'', Linn.)|url=https://archive.org/details/b22455310/mode/2up?q=gall}} a [caudal gland](/source/caudal_gland), a pair of canine [tusk](/source/tusk)s and—of particular economic importance to humans—a [musk](/source/deer_musk) gland. Musk deer live mainly in forested and alpine scrub habitats in the mountains of [South Asia](/source/South_Asia), notably the [Himalayas](/source/Himalayas). They are entirely Asian in their present distribution, being extinct in Europe where the earliest musk deer are known to have existed from [Oligocene](/source/Oligocene) deposits. ==Characteristics== thumb|left|Skull of a buck showing the characteristic teeth Musk deer resemble small deer, with a stocky build and hind legs longer than their front legs. They are about {{convert|80|to|100|cm|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|50|to|70|cm|abbr=on}} high at the shoulder, and weigh between {{convert|7|and|17|kg|abbr=on}}. The feet of musk deer are adapted for climbing in rough terrain. Like the [Chinese water deer](/source/Chinese_water_deer), a cervid, they have no antlers, but the males do have enlarged upper [canine](/source/canine_(tooth))s, forming sabre-like tusks. The [dental formula](/source/dentition) is similar to that of true deer: {{DentalFormula|upper=0.1.3.3|lower=3.1.3.3}}. The musk gland is found only in adult males. It lies in a sac located between the [genitals](/source/Sex_organ) and the [umbilicus](/source/Navel), and its secretions are most likely used to attract mates. Musk deer are herbivores, living in hilly, forested environments, generally far from human habitation. Like true deer, they eat mainly leaves, flowers, and grasses, with some mosses and lichens. They are solitary animals and maintain well-defined territories, which they [scent mark](/source/scent_marking) with their caudal glands. Musk deer are generally shy and either [nocturnal](/source/nocturnal) or [crepuscular](/source/crepuscular). Males leave their [territories](/source/territory_(animal)) during the [rutting season](/source/rutting_season) and compete for mates, using their tusks as weapons. In order to indicate their area, musk deer build latrines. These locations can be used to identify the musk deer's existence, number, and preferred habitat in the wild.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}} Female musk deer give birth to a single fawn after about 150–180 days. The newborn young are very small and essentially motionless for the first month of their lives, a feature that helps them remain hidden from predators.{{cite book |veditors=Macdonald D |chapter=Deer |vauthors=Frädrich H |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |year=1984 |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/518 518–9] |isbn=978-0-87196-871-5 |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/518 }} Musk deer have been hunted for their [scent gland](/source/scent_gland)s, which are used in perfumes. The glands can fetch up to $45,000/kg on the black market.{{clarify|reason=as of when?|date=November 2022}} It is rumored that ancient royalty wore the [scent of the musk deer](/source/deer_musk), and that it is an aphrodisiac.Wild Russia, Discovery Channel{{full citation needed|date=October 2022}} == Population == Musk deer have a global population between 400,000 and 800,000 currently; however, the exact count is undetermined.{{Cite journal |last=Green |first=Michael J.B. |date=1986 |title=The distribution, status and conservation of the Himalayan musk deer Moschus chrysogaster |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0006320786900947 |journal=Biological Conservation|volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=347–375 |doi=10.1016/0006-3207(86)90094-7 |bibcode=1986BCons..35..347G |url-access=subscription }} They are widely spread; however, their population density increases within China, Russia, and Mongolia. Musk deer are commonly found in China, and they are spread over 17 provinces.{{Cite journal |last1=Meng |first1=X |last2=Yang |first2=Q |date=March 2003 |title=Conservation status and causes of decline of musk deer (Moschus spp.) in China |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320702001593#preview-section-abstract |journal=Biological Conservation|volume=109 |issue=3 |pages=333–342 |doi=10.1016/S0006-3207(02)00159-3 |bibcode=2003BCons.109..333Y |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |first1=Yijun |last1=Zhou |first2=Xiuxiang |last2=Meng |first3=Jinchao |last3=Feng |first4=Qisen |last4=Yang |first5=Zuojian |last5=Feng |first6=Lin |last6=Xia |first7=Luděk |last7=Bartoš |date=June 8, 2004 |title=Review of the distribution, status and conservation of musk deer in China |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230561092 |journal=Folia Zoologica-Praha |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=129–140 }}{{Cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Gang |last2=Zhang |first2=Bao-Feng |last3=Chang |first3=Jiang |last4=Hu |first4=Xiao-Long |last5=Li |first5=Chao |last6=Xu |first6=Tin-Tao |last7=Liu |first7=Shu-Qiang |last8=Hu |first8=De-Fu |date=2022-09-23 |title=Population genomics reveals moderate genetic differentiation between populations of endangered Forest Musk Deer located in Shaanxi and Sichuan |journal=BMC Genomics |language=en |volume=23 |issue=1 |page=668 |doi=10.1186/s12864-022-08896-9 |doi-access=free |issn=1471-2164 |pmc=9503231 |pmid=36138352}} This population is mainly located around the Himalayas in southern Asia, southeast Asia, and eastern Asia. They are also found in a few spots in Russia. As of 2003, they became a protected species due to their declined overall population. Musk deer have many subspecies that have varying population sizes, within the overall total, and all are threatened. Over the past twenty years, the populations have been able to slightly recover due to the captive breeding of these animals, specifically in China. Musk deer populations are recovering due to the protocols and rules being set in place to protect the species. == Habitat == The musk deer species is generally solitary and lives in the higher regions of mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas. The varying species' habitats include different atmospheres and necessary resources for their survival, while including similar universal resources. Musk deer population has been declining recently due to environmental and human factors. As a large-bodied mammal, they have great needs that are not able to be sustained due to habitat fragmentation.{{Cite journal |last1=Zhixiao |first1=Liu |last2=Helin |first2=Sheng |date=2002-03-01 |title=Effect of Habitat Fragmentation and Isolation on the Population of Alpine Musk Deer |journal=Russian Journal of Ecology |language=en |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=121–124 |doi=10.1023/A:1014456909480 |issn=1608-3334}} This species is largely protected due to the threat of extinction, due to the increase in illegal hunting. Illegal hunting has significantly decreased the population throughout many of the provinces musk deer occupy. Their habitats are being lost to colonization and deforestation and hunting for musk deer was on the rise. They were hunted for their distinct products that are very valuable in the market. Since then, the Chinese government has stepped in to regulate these issues. They have placed rules pertaining to the killing of musk deer and created havens for the deer to survive. To help with the declining numbers, the deforestation of their natural habitat should be stopped and new habitats should be invested in them. Global climate change has also driven the musk deer population down. The warmer climates result in the drive to higher elevations and latitudes.{{Cite journal |last1=Jiang |first1=Feng |last2=Zhang |first2=Jingjie |last3=Gao |first3=Hongmei |last4=Cai |first4=Zhenyuan |last5=Zhou |first5=Xiaowen |last6=Li |first6=Shengqing |last7=Zhang |first7=Tongzuo |date=February 2020 |title=Musk deer (Moschus spp.) face redistribution to higher elevations and latitudes under climate change in China |journal=Science of the Total Environment |volume=704 |article-number=135335 |doi=10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135335 |pmid=31784177 |bibcode=2020ScTEn.70435335J |issn=0048-9697|doi-access=free }} Global warming and habitat fragmentation are two causes for the population decrease. ==Evolution== [[File:Zwerghirsch-Micromeryx-Skelett.jpg|thumb|left|Skeleton of ''[Micromeryx](/source/Micromeryx)'' showing the general skeletal features]] Musk deer are the only surviving members of the [Moschidae](/source/Moschidae), a family with a fossil record extending over 25 million years to the late [Oligocene](/source/Oligocene). The group was abundant across [Eurasia](/source/Eurasia) and [North America](/source/North_America) until the late [Miocene](/source/Miocene), but underwent a substantial decline, with no [Pliocene](/source/Pliocene) fossil record and ''Moschus'' the only genus since the [Pleistocene](/source/Pleistocene). The oldest records of the genus ''Moschus'' are known from the [Late Miocene](/source/Late_Miocene) ([Turolian](/source/Turolian)) of [Lufeng](/source/Lufeng_County), China.G. Qi. 1985. Stratigraphic summarization of Ramapithecus fossil locality, Lufeng, Yunnan. ''Acta Anthropologica Sinica (Renleixue xuebao)'' '''4(1)''': 55–69 === Taxonomy === {{for|a complete taxonomy|Moschidae}}While they have been traditionally classified as members of the deer family (as the subfamily "Moschinae") and all the species were classified as one species (under ''Moschus moschiferus''), recent studies have indicated that moschids are more closely related to [bovid](/source/Bovidae)s ([antelope](/source/antelope), [goats, sheep](/source/Caprinae) and [cattle](/source/Bovinae)).{{cite journal | vauthors = Hassanin A, Douzery EJ | title = Molecular and morphological phylogenies of ruminantia and the alternative position of the moschidae | journal = Systematic Biology | volume = 52 | issue = 2 | pages = 206–28 | date = April 2003 | pmid = 12746147 | doi = 10.1080/10635150390192726 | doi-access = free }}{{cite journal | vauthors = Guha S, Goyal SP, Kashyap VK | title = Molecular phylogeny of musk deer: a genomic view with mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b gene | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume = 42 | issue = 3 | pages = 585–97 | date = March 2007 | pmid = 17158073 | doi = 10.1016/j.ympev.2006.06.020 | bibcode = 2007MolPE..42..585G }} {| |+ Genus {{big|'''''Moschus'''''}} ! Species name       !! Common name             !! Distribution                   |- | [''M. moschiferus''](/source/Siberian_musk_deer) || Siberian musk deer || North East Asia |- | [''M. anhuiensis''](/source/Anhui_musk_deer) || Anhui musk deer || Eastern China |- | [''M. berezovskii''](/source/Dwarf_musk_deer) || Dwarf musk deer || South China and Northern Vietnam |- | [''M. fuscus''](/source/Black_musk_deer) || Black musk deer || Eastern Himalayas |- | [''M. chrysogaster''](/source/Alpine_musk_deer) || Alpine musk deer || Eastern Himalayas |- | [''M. cupreus''](/source/Kashmir_musk_deer) || Kashmir musk deer || Western Himalayas and Hindu Kush |- | [''M. leucogaster''](/source/White-bellied_musk_deer)       || White-bellied musk deer       || Central Himalayas |} File:Moschus berezovskii - Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology - DSC02453.JPG|Dwarf musk deer File:Moschus fuscus - Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology - DSC02455.JPG|Black musk deer File:Moschus chrysogaster.jpg|Alpine musk deer ==See also== * [Water deer](/source/Water_deer) ==References== {{reflist|25em}} {{Artiodactyla|R.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q3866060}} Category:Musk deer Category:Mammals of Asia Category:Extant Miocene first appearances Category:Animal taxa named by Carl Linnaeus --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Musk deer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_deer) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musk_deer?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.