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 willing to easily overcome hundreds of kilometers of mountainous terrain to see this creature live. And today, interest in him is still there.
What kind of miracle animal of musk deer, the description of which has so many interesting facts? Why is it so remarkable? And why is it protected by the World Organization for the Protection of Animal Rights?
What a wondrous beast?
Musk deer is one of the varieties of deer. True, it is very different from its closest relatives in both size and appearance. Another name for it is musk deer. The musk deer gained its fame thanks to two reasons: unusual fangs and musk.
This deer has two front canines that grow from the upper jaw. Because of them, the musk deer gained fame as a vampire hunting other animals. Moreover, before, people believed that this beast was an evil spirit, and shamans often hunted it in order to get their teeth as a magic trophy.
The time of superstition has sunk into oblivion, but the persecution of these animals has not stopped. After all, the musk deer is known for another feature, namely musk. It was this substance that became the goal of many poachers who were ready to destroy the whole species, in order to get such a coveted reward.
Appearance
What does 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 happened that this species is completely devoid of bone growths on the head, as well as the lacrimal openings under the eyes.
Musk deer rarely grows more than one meter long. As for its height, at the moment the largest spotted individual was no more than 80 cm. Moreover, its weight ranges from 12 to 18 kilograms. The color of the coat 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.
Musk deer: habitat
This animal prefers mountainous areas, and therefore the main range of its habitat is indicated by the mountains of China and Tibet. But in Russia you can meet him. So, musk deer is found on a very vast territory: from the lower Altai to the Amur itself.
A favorite place for musk deer is the forest. Therefore, it is here that the animal spends most of the time. However, this does not mean that the deer does not wander high in the mountains. So, there is evidence that some individuals live in the Himalayas, at an altitude of more than 3,000 m above sea level.
Musk deer habits
This species 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 can sometimes be fatal.
In the rest of the year, they lead a quiet and measured lifestyle. They feed mainly on moss and fresh foliage. Therefore, the rumor that musk deer drinks blood is only an empty superstition, which 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, it can change the trajectory of running, without even slowing down.
Musk hunt
In the old days, the musk deer population was not in danger. 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 shamans and mystics, collecting their fangs. But everything changed at a time when Chinese alchemists began to use musk in their medicines.
For those who don’t know, musk is a viscous substance with a pungent odor. Each male musk deer has a special gland that secrets this secret. She also became an 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 perfumes. Due to the astringency of the fragrance, it quickly gained popularity among fashionistas and fashionistas of that time. Therefore, the pursuit of musk only intensified.
Ultimately, everyone who wanted to make money quickly 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.
Musk deer fighting
Fortunately, the world is not without good people. A similar decline in musk deer numbers has sparked outrage from animal rights activists. And so they began to take active steps aimed at protecting them.
Thanks to their intervention, the musk deer was listed in the Red Book, and poachers hunting it answered in all severity 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 ban on hunting, the need for musk has not disappeared. And so farmers tried to breed a species that could live in captivity. The first attempts were a failure, as the musk deer died very quickly. But over time, nevertheless, it turned out to breed a breed living according to the rules of man.
True, as the farmers themselves assure, caring for her is still that work. In particular, a lot of trouble arises during the period when the males are ready for mating. Nevertheless, this approach greatly helped the wild musk deer, reducing the demand for their glands.
Interesting facts about musk deer
- Earlier, the appearance of musk deer in the vicinity of the village foreshadowed grief. Therefore, after such a visit, shamans performed rituals that 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 case of approaching a predator it can jump high and change the trajectory of running 90 degrees with lightning speed.
- In 1845, the musk deer population was more than 250 thousand individuals. After a hundred years, this number dropped to 10 thousand, which was a signal to save the musk deer.