Musk deer - description, habitat, lifestyle

Musk deer means a cloven-hoofed animal, which is shrouded in myths and superstitions. The presence of fangs is considered a feature of these individuals, which makes them similar to vampires. When a person first encounters an animal of this type, he tries to move away as far as possible. In today's article, we will consider everything related to musk deer so that you make your own opinion.

Description

It was this deer that was considered a vampire for a long period of time, because people believed that with the help of fangs it sucks the blood of its victim. If you translate the name of the species from the Greek language, then literally we can say that it is "carrying musk."

1. Based on external characteristics, animals look like ordinary deer. They can extend up to 100 cm along the body, sometimes more, at a height along the withers of 70 cm. The tail is given about 5 cm more, it is not too long. The weight category of the grown individual varies in the region of 10-18 kg.
2. Females are smaller than males. All hind limbs are elongated, as a result of which the withers are located below the sacrum. The tail is shortened, it is not visible. A distinctive feature is the absence of horns. In males, fangs are long, curving. They exit the oral cavity by 8 cm on average.
3. Males have gland in the abdominal cavity, which helps to develop a secretion with a musky odor. The hooves are refined, pointed, can be moved apart quite widely. The fur breaks quickly, but it is dense and elongated. It is pigmented in a brownish or brownish tone.
4. From the lateral parts, the animal is painted with light gray spots. Almost all of the hair consists of the outer hair, a thin gun is small. Thanks to this structure, animals can retain heat when in the snow.
5. The fur has a water-repellent impregnation, as a result of which the animal does not get wet very much. Individuals cross water sources, then go to land and literally shake off the liquid. This allows them to overcome the cold and other weather conditions.

Nutrition

1. The basis of the basic menu is composed of terrestrial and epiphytic lichens, this is especially true in the winter season. For this season, lichens are given over 80% of the menu volume. Such addictions in terms of food are determined by places of distribution where there is nothing else.
2. To diversify the menu helps cedar, fir. Also, individuals do not mind eating umbellate vegetation, blueberry foliage, fern, horsetail, and other varieties of such a plan.
3. Individuals prefer to seek food near woody vegetation. It is important that lichens are present nearby. Animals gnaw them from broken and fallen branches, and also collect them from the ground or snow masses. When individuals feed, they are able to travel long distances with obstacles.

Behavior

1. Individuals always prefer living in the taiga, where there are shaded areas. They also love rocky terrain. By the nature of their stay, they prefer serenity instead of nomadism. Do not gather in huge flocks. They live either in a couple, or in a family, or in a small group (up to 4 individuals). In the summer, individual plots are about 20 ha in area, and 10 ha are enough in winter.
2. The representatives of the family under discussion rarely quarrel, mostly smooth out conflicts and behave peacefully. However, they will not bother with strangers, they immediately show aggression. When the mating season begins, males fight for females. They chase each other, using fangs and hooves.Particularly strong blows occur on the neck, ridge and croup.
3. The duel can drag on for a long time, so each opponent tries to knock the other to the ground first. He kills him to death so that the battle ends soon. These animals are beautiful jumpers. They have agility, maneuverability. Some jump on a high rock or dashingly change direction on the run. They are better than hares confuse traces.

Breeding

1. Individuals fall into a race, for the period of reproduction, they exclude a single mode of existence. Around the end of autumn or the beginning of winter, male representatives of the family have been showing unprecedented activity in terms of marks left along the perimeter of the territory. In a day they can do it more than fifty times. To this end, they use the secret that is produced by the glands. Labels are left on high ground.
2. In this way, animals try to expand the boundaries of their personal sites. Therefore, they meet with the neighborhood, a struggle for possession may unleash. Next, fights for females begin. Males behave extremely aggressively, often reaching a fatal outcome.
3. Initially, the males conduct a ring fight, walk around each other at a distance of five meters. Fur rises, fangs bare even more. Thus, individuals want to show their strength. Usually young animals leave without a fight, giving leadership to the older generation. But if the individuals are equal in strength, then the fight will be truly fierce. They do not think about a possible loss, causing each other lacerations.
4. Of course, the winner goes to the female. After mating, she carries several cubs who live with their parents for up to six months. On average, all individuals live in captivity for about 10 years, and in the natural environment for 5 years. On the open spaces of the Russian Federation, there are about 125,000 individuals.

Lifestyle

1. The presented individuals feel quite comfortable and safe in the gloomy and taiga forests. Only a rare predator can sneak up on such animals silently. As for wolves and bears, such individuals will not be able to do this. The deer will immediately notice them.
2. Musk deer has excellent hearing, so it can hear breaking branches for several tens of meters. It is the crack that will make it clear to the animal that a predator is hunting for it. The considered individuals will not hesitate and immediately rush from their places.
3. It is worth noting that even in rare cases, it is possible to catch a deer by such clever predators like marten, lynx and wolverine. The individuals in question are very dodgy. They are capable of rapidly changing movement at a right angle at high speed. Also, animals confuse traces, like hares do.
4. Musk deer manage to catch predators only when strong snowstorms begin in the forest. At this time, the wind is very noisy, and twigs are constantly breaking. At such a moment, the animal simply cannot hear the impending danger. A deer can be saved if it sees a creeping predator during time.
5. The problem is that animals cannot run for a long time at high speed. Despite the fact that deer are very resourceful, shortness of breath appears during running. Because of this feature, the animal is forced to stop for a break. In a straight line, a deer cannot escape from a wolverine or lynx.
6. It is noteworthy that individuals learned to protect themselves in mountains and to escape from the pursuit of predators. Deer constantly loop, confusing the track. Then the musk deer climbs along narrow paths to places that are inaccessible to anyone except relatives. In safety, the deer can rest calmly.
7. Due to the special physiology, individuals are able to jump from a ledge to a ledge. These deer can make their way along steep and narrow trails. In this case, the cornice can be reached only a few tens of centimeters. It is worth noting that deer manage to escape only from wild predators, a man has got used to hunt such artiodactyls.

Human value

1. It is noteworthy that the hunting of the considered individuals has been going on since ancient times. Previously, people wanted to get an unusual skull with fangs. Currently, hunting for animals is due to a special musk gland. In the wild, males spray places to attract females during the mating season.
2. Musk is necessary for humans for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. In ancient times, in Arab countries, local healers mentioned in the annals of the healing power of musk. The Greeks and Romans used this secret to create pleasant incense.
3. In eastern countries, healers used musk to prepare medicines in the fight against rheumatism, impotence and cardiovascular pathologies. In Europe, such a secret has become in demand in the perfumery and cosmetics industries.
4. In China, musk is also successfully used in the creation of various medicines. Such animals reach puberty at the age of 2 years. From this moment on, the iron begins to function fully.
5. Musk is located below the abdomen almost near the genitals. To extract the secret, the animal is killed and takes out the gland. It is dried and ground into powder. The result is about 50 grams. finished product.
6. Interestingly, such a secret of animal origin is considered the most expensive on earth. The composition of the gland is extremely complex. Due to valuable compounds, it is successfully used for medicinal purposes. In Europe, such musk is used exclusively in the perfume industry.

Currently, in Saudi Arabia, the animals in question are bred specifically for the purpose of obtaining a valuable secret. It is noteworthy that people have learned to humanely obtain a secret. They catch a deer, put it to sleep and introduce a special spatula into the gland. As a result, musk comes out.

Video: musk deer (Moschus moschiferus)