Musk Deer

Musk Deer Latest News

Recently, the Assam Police recovered six musk deer pods from two Arunachal Pradesh-based men during an operation near Guwahati. 

About Musk Deer

• Musk deer (Moschidae) are small deer-like animals that belong to the family Moschidae.
• Appearance: Its coat is dark brown, mottled with paler, greyer hair underneath. It has whitish markings on its chin and ears.
• Habitat: They typically inhabit forests and brushlands at intermediate elevations and rocky slopes at altitudes between 2,600 and 3,000 meters.
• Distribution: They live in highland areas in central and northeastern Asia, particularly in western China, Myanmar and the Himalayas.

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Characteristics of Musk Deer

• They are shy, usually feeding at night, and tend to live alone, occasionally in pairs but never in herds.
• Musk deer lack antlers.
• The animal has well-developed side toes that give it a sure-footedness and allow it to scamper around rocks in the snow and even climb trees.
• Diet:  Their diet includes both browse and graze, and they also consume some mosses and lichens
• A musk deer pod is a specialised scent gland found in the abdomen of a male musk deer.
• It produces a strong-smelling, reddish-brown secretion used in traditional perfumes and medicines.
• A musk gland in males produces a strong scent used for communication/territorial marking.

Conservation Status of Musk Deer

• IUCN: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972: Schedule I

Source: TH