The Mouse Deer looks miniature and is barely the size of a dog breed such as the Chihuahua. The pet deer is small in size. Its body length varies from 45 to 55 cm, with a tail length of about 5 cm and a height at the withers of 20 to 25 cm. The caribou weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 kg.
The small reindeer animal looks inconspicuous. The upper part of the torso is colored brownish-brown, and underneath the fur is white. The mouse deer has a roundish build, but has graceful legs. The canchil animal has large eyes, a sharp snout and a black nose, and there are no horns. Males have a distinctive feature - they have fangs sticking out of their mouths on the sides, like tusks.
Where does the mouse deer live?
Mouse deer live in dense forests with undergrowth and necessarily near bodies of water. Mouse deer live in Southeast Asia and are found in Israel. The range of these animals covers the area from southern China to the Malay Peninsula. Mouse deer inhabit the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.
Lifestyle of the lesser caribou
The small deer animal leads a solitary lifestyle. These nimble and fearful animals are most active during the night hours. During the day, the little deer usually sleep in crevices of trees or rocks. At night, the red deer are actively searching for food, hollowing paths in the dense forest vegetation.
A red deer is a territorial animal, so each individual has its own plot, and males have a slightly larger one than females. Marks are used to mark the borders of their possessions in the shady jungle bushes. It is not uncommon for males to fight over territory. The mouse deer canchil is a herbivorous animal whose diet is based on plants and fruits. They feed on shoots, buds, and leaves, but can also eat insects.
The female spends most of her life pregnant, as she mates again almost immediately after giving birth to her cubs. The Javanese canchil rarely produces more than one calf. The gestation period is about 5 months. The mother feeds her offspring with milk. The baby grows quickly and is on its feet just a few hours after birth. After about a couple of weeks, the calf is separated from its mother.
By six months of its life, the kanchil deer becomes capable of reproduction. The Javanese caribou lives 12 years. Locals hunt them for their meat, but still the main threat to this species is the destruction of forest areas. The mouse deer animal is fairly easy to tame, so it is not uncommon for them to be kept as pets.
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