Himalayan Musk-deer

About this species

Diet

Leaves of trees and shrubs, chosen for high protein and low fibre

Habitat

High alpine environments above about 2,500m

Range

Eastern Himalaya of Nepal and India, possibly Bhutan and China

Litter size

1–2 young

The white-bellied or Himalayan musk deer is endemic to the eastern Himalaya, found from the Annapurna Himalaya and Kali Gandaki gorge eastwards in Nepal and India, and possibly in Bhutan and China. It was previously considered a subspecies of the alpine musk deer but was separated on skull proportions. Males carry tusks up to about 10 cm long and secrete musk from a gland in the abdomen (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives in high alpine environments above about 2,500 m. It has a dense coat of coarse, air-filled hairs for insulation, well-developed dew claws and broad toes for steep slopes, and it bounds rather than runs. At night it comes out to feed in more open habitats, choosing leaves with high protein and low fibre. Fawns are spotted, and a female has one or two young at a time. Records from Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are likely this species or the black musk deer, but lack genetic confirmation (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)