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. And today, interest in him still has not faded away.
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 beast?
Animal musk deer is one of the varieties of deer. True, it is very different from its closest relatives both in 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 was an evil spirit, and shamans often hunted him in order toget the teeth as a magical trophy.
The time of superstitions 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 an entire 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.
Musk deer rarely grows more than one meter in length. As for its height, at the moment the largest individual seen was no more than 80 cm. At the same time, its weight ranges from 12 to 18 kilograms. Coat colors can vary from dark brown to light brown.
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 its main habitat is marked 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.
A favorite place for musk deer is the forest. Therefore, it is here that the animal spends most of itstime. 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.
The habits of the musk deer
This type of deer is used 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 life. They feed mainly on moss and fresh leaves. Therefore, the rumor that musk deer drink 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.
Musk Hunt
In the old days, nothing threatened the musk deer population. 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 when Chinese alchemists began to use musk in their medicines.
For those who don't know, musk is a viscous substance with a tart smell. Every male hasmusk deer have 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.
In the end, everyone who wanted to make a quick buck hunted musk deer. 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.
Struggle for the rights of musk deer
Good, 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 recovery of the musk deer population will not happen soon.
Beast in captivity
However, with the advent of the ban on hunting, the need for musk has not disappeared. 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 by the rules of man.
True, as the farmers themselves assure, caring for her is still a job. In particular, a lot of trouble arises during the period when the males are ready to mate. Nevertheless, this approach has greatly helped wild musk deer by reducing the demand for their glands.
Interesting Musk Deer Facts
- Earlier, the appearance of musk deer in the vicinity of the village foreshadowed grief. Therefore, after such a visit, the shamans performed rituals to ward off evil spirits.
- Fleeing 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.
