Hi! You must be thinking why barking sound is heard from a bunch of deer, that’s because we are one of the few such species who bark, we are the Barking deer.
Apart from our barking there are other things you can have a look at:
- As you know we bark but, we can bark for more than an hour to show the predators that we have sensed them, and we are waiting for them to leave.
- Do you know? We are surprisingly omnivorous deer and feed on small insects and eggs. Notably, this is unlike any other deer species.
- We can be nocturnal as well as diurnal, meaning we can stay active both in the day and at night.
- We are also known as Muntjacs from our scientific name. This word means “small deer” in the Sudanese language.
- People who live near us often misunderstand our groans. They often think our groan to be some paranormal activity.
- We have a unique organ near our mouth which helps us detect scents left by other animals.
- We are one of the smallest deer species in the world.
SOME QUICK NOTES:
Our Scientific Name: Muntiacus muntjak.
Our Identification: Small deer with golden-red coat and small antlers in males and bony knobs in females.
Our Habitat: monsoon and rain forests, hilly areas, and places with dense vegetation.
Our Range:
Our Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed on fruits, herbs, sprouts, seeds, grasses, eggs, and small animals.
Our Breeding Period: Throughout the year.
Number of calves born: 1
Our Gestation period: about 180 days
Our Lifespan: about 17 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Not listed.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule III
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Muntiacus
Species: M. muntjak
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are also known as Indian Muntjac or Southern Red Muntjac. Barking Deer are scientifically called as Muntiacus muntjak.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are small mammals with a body length of 89cm-135cm, a height of 40cm-65cm, a tail length of 13cm-23cm and weigh about 18kg.
If you notice, males of our species are bigger than females. We have a golden-red color coat, which is thick, dense and has short hair. We have ears with very little hair. Our underparts are white in color. Our face and limbs are dark brown in color. Males have small antlers and females have bony knobs instead of antlers. The young ones look similar to adults without antlers.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We are subdivided into 15 subspecies and we prefer living in habitats like monsoon and rain forests, hilly areas, and places with dense vegetation. We generally prefer areas near a water source.
Depending on our subspecies, our range lies in countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, South China, Thailand, Beitung and Bangka Islands, Sri Lanka, Burma, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, Bintan, Hainan, and Lingga Islands.
WHAT WE EAT:
Unlike other deer species, we are omnivorous mammals. We generally graze on grosses and other plants.
Our diet includes fruits, herbs, sprouts, seeds, grasses, eggs, and small animals. Our strong teeth and our legs help us attach the small animals and kill them and eat them.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We usually live alone and only meet during the breeding season. Males maintain territories and fight with other males when invaded. Our breeding season is throughout the year.
The female gives birth to one calf at a time and the gestation period is about 180 days.
The young calf is taken care of by the mother and it leaves the mother when it becomes independent after 6 months.
The young calf fights for its territory and attains sexual maturity in a year. Our average lifetime in the wild is unknown but in captivity, we live about 17 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
When we sense a predator, we emit sounds that are similar to a dog barking, hence the name barking deer. We may bark for more than an hour to make the predator show itself or leave the area.
We can stay awake both in the day and at night.
We thrive very well in zoological parks.
Our common predators include tigers, leopards, crocodiles, jackals, and pythons.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly available in our range and are not threatened. We are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN. We are also protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule III.
