| Musk deer Fossil range: Early Miocene to present |
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Musk deer are artiodactyls of the genus Moschus, the only genus of family Moschidae. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus) is a Musk deer found in the mountain forests of Northeast Asia. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands The even-toed ungulates form the Mammal order Artiodactyla. They are Ungulates whose weight is borne (if they have more than two toes about John Edward Gray ( 12 February 1800 &ndash 7 March 1875) was a British zoologist. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for The Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus) is a Musk deer found in the mountain forests of Northeast Asia. The Dwarf Musk Deer or Chinese Forest Musk Deer ( is an Artiodactyl native to China and Vietnam. UserPolbot. -->The Black Musk Deer or Dusky Musk Deer ( Moschus fuscus) is a species of Even-toed The even-toed ungulates form the Mammal order Artiodactyla. They are Ungulates whose weight is borne (if they have more than two toes about In Biological classification, family ( Latin They are more primitive than the cervids, or true deer, in not having antlers or facial glands, in having only a single pair of teats, and in possessing a gall bladder, a caudal gland, a pair of tusk-like teeth and—of particular economic importance to humans—a musk gland. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. Antlers are the usually large and complex horn -like appendages of most Deer species mostly worn by males only for some species such as Caribou by both The gallbladder (or cholecyst sometimes gall bladder is a small organ whose function in the body is to store Bile and aid in the digestive process Musk is the name originally given to a substance with a penetrating Odor obtained from a Gland of the male Musk deer, which is situated between its
Characteristics
Musk deer resemble small deer with a stocky build, and hind legs longer than their front legs. They are approximately 80-100 cm in length, 50-70 cm tall at the shoulder, and weigh between 7 and 17 kg. The feet of musk deer are adapted for climbing in rough terrain. Like the Chinese Water Deer, a cervid, they have no antlers, but the males do have enlarged upper canines, forming sabre-like tusks. The Water Deer ( Hydropotes inermis) is superficially more similar to a Musk deer than a True deer (Cervidae - order Artiodactyla but it is classified "Cuspid" redirects here For the heart valves see Bicuspid valve and Tricuspid valve. The dental formula is similar to that of true deer:
| 0. Dentition is the development of Teeth and their arrangement in the Mouth. 1. 3. 3 |
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The musk gland is found only in adult males. It lies in a sac located between the genitals and the umbilicus, and its secretions are most likely used to attract mates. A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute The navel (also called an umbilicus or colloquially belly button) is a Scar on the Abdomen, caused when the Umbilical cord is removed
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 with their caudal glands. Territorial marking is Behavior used by Animals to identify their territory. Musk deer are generally shy, and either nocturnal, or crepuscular. As an Animal behavior, nocturnality describes sleeping during the Daytime and being active at Night - the opposite of the diurnal Crepuscular is a term used to describe animals that are primarily active during Twilight, hence at Dawn and at Dusk.
Males leave their territories during the rutting season, and compete for mates, using their tusks as weapons. 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 life, a feature that helps them remain hidden from predators. [1]
References
- ^ Frädrich, Hans (1984). in Macdonald, D. : The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, 518-519. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
External links
- Guha S, Goyal SP, Kashyap VK. (2007). Molecular phylogeny of musk deer(KASTURI MIRG): A genomic view with mitochondrial 16S rRNA and cytochrome b gene. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2007 Mar;42(3):585-97. PMID: 17158073. [1]
- Hassanin A, Douzery EJ. (2003. Molecular and morphological phylogenies of ruminantia and the alternative position of the moschidae. Syst Biol. 2003 Apr;52(2):206-28. PMID: 12746147. [2]
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