Mammals of the WorldSouthern Red Muntjac
Muntiacus muntjak
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Cervidae
- Genus
- Muntiacus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Thailand|Malaysia|Singapore?|Indonesia|Brunei
- Realm
- Indomalaya
Other names: Sundaic Red Muntjak
About this species
- Size
- Male antlers about 10cm; upper canines 2–4cm
- Weight
- 13–35kg
- Diet
- Grass, fruit, shoots, seeds, bird eggs and small animals; occasionally carrion
The southern red muntjac is a deer of Southeast Asia, formerly called the Indian or common muntjac before a revision restricted the name to populations of Thailand, the Sunda region and perhaps Malaysia. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings, and a darker face. Adults weigh 13 to 35kg, and males are larger than females (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is an omnivore, eating grass, fruit, shoots, seeds, bird eggs and small animals, and sometimes carrion. Males have short antlers of about 10cm and elongated canines that can inflict serious injury. Its barking call gives it the name barking deer. The Mammal Diversity Database lists it only for Southeast Asia, and the Indian and Himalayan populations now go to the northern red muntjac, so its place in the Bhutan guide is flagged.
Description: Wildlife of Bhutan guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)