Where does the fanged deer live? Musk deer animal

Musk deer- a small artiodactyl deer-like animal, a representative of the musk deer family. It is the smallest antlerless deer. Listed in the Red Book of Russia.

Musk deer: description

The body length of the musk deer reaches a maximum of 1 m, the tail is 4-6 cm, the height at the withers is up to 70 cm, average weight body 11-18 kg. The hind legs are disproportionately long, so the sacrum of a standing musk deer is 5-10 cm higher than the withers. There are no horns, which is why the musk deer's head looks small compared to its body. The eyes are large and protruding. The fur is coarse and long, dark brown. Light spots stretch in rows on the back and sides.

A distinctive feature of the musk deer from other artiodactyl animals is the presence in males of constantly growing long curved fangs protruding from under upper lip, which serve as tournament weapons. Male musk deer also have an abdominal gland that produces musk.

Nutrition

The musk deer feeds on woody lichens, twigs, leaves, tree bark, grass, mosses and even mushrooms. When collecting food, the animal can climb an inclined tree trunk or jump from branch to branch to a height of 3-4 meters.

Social structure of musk deer

Prefers solitude, very rarely living in groups of up to three individuals. Within such a group, contacts between animals are peaceful, but towards strangers they are extremely aggressive. During long fights, one of the males knocks the other to the ground, kicks him, and sinks his fangs into him, which can lead to the death of the defeated one.

Musk deer habitats

Musk deer live in impenetrable thickets of bushes or in dense young spruce and fir forests of mountain taiga, where there is water. Often in places where musk deer live, the slopes of the hills and spurs of the ridges have an almost vertical steepness, and if there is a gentle slope, then granite boulders are scattered in disarray, along which it is not easy for a person to walk. Musk deer make their way through such places without any difficulty, easily jumping from one boulder to another, never slipping. The soft horny rim on the hoof cover holds it in place. In the process of evolution, the musk deer has developed an amazing ability to maintain body balance. Even at considerable speed, it is capable of changing the direction of its movement by 90 degrees or instantly stopping in its tracks, without making any noise, and staying on a small boulder. Excellent maneuverability and good jumping ability allow the musk deer to easily overcome obstacles.

In the Eastern Sayan Mountains (in the valley of the Belaya River), the average density of musk deer in an area free from fishing (100 square kilometers) is 35 heads per thousand hectares. The maximum number of musk deer was noted in, on and in Tofalaria.

Musk deer are found everywhere in the Western Baikal region, in the upper reaches and. Found in tributaries. In the pool Lower Tunguska- in, and other areas.

Subspecies of musk deer

There are 5 subspecies of musk deer:

Siberian musk deer ( M. moschiferus moschiferus) - common in Altai, Western and Eastern Siberia, Transbaikalia.
Sakhalin musk deer ( M. moschiferus sachalinensis) - inhabits the island of Sakhalin.
Far Eastern musk deer ( M. moschiferus turowi) - lives in Sikhote-Alin and west to the river. Zei.
Verkhoyansk (Arctic) musk deer ( M. moschiferus arcticus) – inhabits Verkhoyansk ridge and the Chersky ridge to the west to the Lena River and to the east to Kolyma, Aldan and the Stanovoy Range.
Korean musk deer ( M. moschiferus parvipes) - inhabits the Korean peninsula.

This animal has all sorts of names. Musk deer are called saber-tooth deer, musk deer, and hare-like deer. Of all the deer living in Russia, this one is the smallest. Outwardly, they are slightly hunchbacked, in their habits they are very cautious and silent. Musk deer live in mountainous areas, but not too high, just enough to avoid encounters with predators. Rocks and cliffs where this deer can be found are usually covered coniferous forests.

IN summer period musk deer feeds near forest and mountain rivers, where the valleys are covered with grass. Among other animals, female musk deer are distinguished by a well-developed maternal instinct. Their offspring are born quite strong, but there are quite a lot of enemies who want to feast on the fawns: wolf, lynx, wolverine, hawks, eagles and owls. Despite her natural caution and timidity, the female musk deer boldly comes out to protect her offspring. There have been cases when a hunter used a decoy that imitated the squeak of a fawn and the female came out directly under fire, even waiting for the hunter to reload the gun if he missed the first time. If the mother dies, the cubs are destroyed by predators. Therefore, hunting musk deer in spring and summer is real poaching.

Hunting for musk deer, as a rule, has one goal - to obtain the musk gland of a deer. This gland (musk deer stream) is located between the navel and genitals, and is approximately the size of chicken egg and contains musk. During the rutting season, iron emit a scent that helps hunters find musk deer. The musk deer's rut begins in late autumn. Several males are fighting over a female. The female carries the cubs for six months. As a rule, a musk deer gives birth to two fawns.

Appearance of a musk deer.

Since the musk deer is a deer, it belongs to the artiodactyls and leads a lifestyle similar to these animals. A significant difference from ordinary deer is the size of the musk deer: no larger than a large dog, its height is a maximum of 60 cm at the withers, and no more than a meter in length, its weight is about 16 kg. The musk deer has small hooves and a membrane between the toes. This deer does not have antlers, but the males have long (up to 9 cm) sharp fangs, for which the musk deer is called the saber-toothed deer. The musk deer's eyes are slightly protruding, which is why the look seems surprised. In addition, the animal’s ears resemble those of a hare, and its muzzle resembles that of a goat.

The color of the musk deer's fur is dirty gray, and the structure of each hair is hollow, similar to reindeer, which allows the animal to be invisible among the stones. The musk deer has light spots on its back and sides. Female musk deer do not have fangs, nor do they have a musk gland. They are much smaller than males, their hooves are narrower, and their muzzle is longer and more pointed.

Habitat of the musk deer.

If we outline the boundaries of the musk deer’s habitat, it will be: to the west - the Yenisei River, to the east - Sakhalin Island, to the north - to the seventieth parallel. This animal can be found in the mountains of China and Tibet, in Eastern Siberia and the Himalayas, in Korea and Altai. Musk deer live in mountainous areas, but where there are small mountains. It is there that the musk deer escapes from predators. Required condition its existence is the presence of coniferous forests: cedar, fir, spruce. Or deciduous ones, the trees of which have lichens. Most often, musk deer live scattered, in certain places, where the number of animals is up to ten animals per 1000 hectares.

Character and habits of the musk deer.

The habitat of one individual is quite stable and amounts to up to three hundred hectares, this in the spring. And in the summer, musk deer actively move from one slope of the mountain to the opposite. The animal walks no more than five kilometers per day, and does this in the dark, at night or late in the evening. Its roost is usually located next to or in rock ledges, as well as in dense grass. Musk deer can also lie down near cliffs, under huge trees on a windy surface. At this time, she leads a very quiet lifestyle and a person can come almost close to her.

At the end of autumn, this deer begins the rut. Adults gather in groups of three or four, with the number of animals of both sexes being equal in the group. Young people stay away. However, there are exceptions. Sometimes, a male has a harem of several females, and sometimes several males fight over one female. The female bears and gives birth to one or two cubs, in rare cases - three. This happens at the beginning of summer, in June. The musk deer bears its young from 185 to 195 days. Sensing the approach of childbirth, the female musk deer hides among the windbreaks or hides under the fir paws.

The fawns that are born have a dark brown color and yellowish spots on the skin, the throat and belly are colored white. Only with the onset of winter do they acquire their adult coloring – dirty gray, only with more spots on them. But in the second year of life, musk deer calves are not at all different from adults. The mother actively protects the newborns, hiding them until the fawns begin to follow their mother at the end of summer, and feed on her milk until autumn. Individuals of musk deer that have reached seventeen months are considered sexually mature, although they begin to produce musk by the age of five months.

The musk deer is similar to a hare not only in its ears, but also in its lifestyle. The activity of the musk deer, like the hare, increases after sunset, and during the day both animals lie down. If a musk deer is pursued by dogs, it meanders like a hare. In addition, she is not afraid of water and swims well. It feeds mainly on herbs, especially preferring spicy and aromatic ones. In winter, its food is moss and roots, which the animal extracts from under the snow, as well as lichens, mainly “bearded moss”. Musk deer also like to eat mushrooms.

Hunting for musk deer.

Previously, musk deer were hunted using crossbows, bows, or goat traps. Opinions differ regarding the caution of this animal. Some say that the musk deer is a trusting and stupid animal, while others believe that it is cautious and fearful. But one thing is clear: stalking and hunting musk deer is quite difficult. True, sometimes the musk deer itself enters a fresh trap, so commercial hunters rarely use weapons on this hunt. This animal is hunted mainly for the production of musk, which is used in medicine and perfumery, and is also very expensive.

Hunting for musk deer with a dog.

Nowadays, the only legal way to hunt this deer is hunting with a dog. Since the musk deer is very well camouflaged among the stones, it is almost impossible to find it without a dog. The animal is so quiet that if it is hiding, the hunter can pass by it without even noticing. After all, it is known that the musk deer can allow a person to get quite close to itself. Hunted saber-toothed deer with a husky. The dog, having discovered the animal, chases it towards the hunter, or, more often than not, as it turns out, since the musk deer meanders when running, so the husky cannot give it direction. If the dog failed to drive the deer to shoot, then the musk deer, tired from running, will find a place to rest. There she will be overtaken by a shot from a hunter, guided by the barking of a dog.

Hunting for musk deer using a trap.

The most popular and most ancient way hunting for musk deer - using goat's mouth traps, where the animal is lured. A trap is a fenced trap made among stones. A musk deer trap is made similarly to a goat trap, and they differ only in the terrain on which they are installed. They hunt musk deer, as in the last century, using crossbows or bows. Since these types of weapons do not make noise, only the sight on musk deer is taken lower than on roe deer. Some people use a net used to catch wild goats to hunt musk deer. Musk deer fishing season – winter months, when there are no other commercial animals, and the hunter can track the wounded animal for a long time.

Sometimes the “goat’s mouths” are left without a fence and in this case they are called “shepherds”. They are located under cliffs or stone slabs. It is especially good if the trap has a natural bait - moss covering the stones. If the stones do not have vegetation, then green moss is placed in the trap. The musk deer, having noticed the food, approaches the “shepherdess”, while she cannot help but touch the special “earring”, and having touched it, the animal brings down the shepherdess, which covers him from above.

Hunting for musk deer with firearms.

Of course, the type of hunting with a trap can already be classified as exotic. Hunters still go to hunt musk deer with firearms(rifle, carbine or shotgun). It is best to hunt musk deer in winter, when the tracks of the animal are very clearly visible in the snow. The hunter must carefully approach the musk deer within shooting distance. Most often, the male is hunted, since in addition to meat and skin, he has musk. The tracks of the male and female are different: the female's track is more elongated. This type of hunting requires patience and caution, as well as increased attention, since musk deer are well camouflaged in familiar environment with its dirty gray coloring. The hunter should carefully examine the stones and bushes that come his way, as the musk deer can hide in them and watch the person itself.

Imagine your disappointment if what you thought was a stone instantly breaks away and disappears. Therefore, those hunters who have experience in catching musk deer are advised to shoot as soon as the animal slightly betrays its presence. However, more often the musk deer runs towards the shot without feeling any danger; during the rutting period the animal is especially careless. After all, the male is looking for a female and is driven by an instinct much stronger than the instinct of self-preservation.

Hunting in the spring is considered quite easy, when the female musk deer goes everywhere with her young. A hunter needs a decoy that imitates the voice of a fawn. The female will always rush to the aid of the cub, assuming that he is in danger. Even if the hunter fired and missed, the musk deer will wait until he reloads the gun in order to divert the danger from the cubs. Once again we can repeat what has already been said above. Using this method is cruel and brutal poaching, because fawns without a mother will die.

Have you ever seen a deer with fangs? No? Then meet the musk deer. This adorable little animal is similar to a deer, it is endangered and needs our protection.

Appearance of a toothy deer

The musk deer has a body no more than a meter long, its height does not reach 70 cm at the withers, and its body weight is 11-18 kg.

The animal has quite long and thick fur of a brownish-brown color. Juveniles may have light gray or tan spots on their sides and back.

The musk deer's tail is so small that it is almost invisible from under the fur.

One of distinctive features animal - very long legs. Thanks to them, musk deer can climb tree trunks to get food for themselves - lichens or the needles of some trees.

Why does a musk deer need tusks?

Both males and females have fangs. However, in females they are small and rarely protrude beyond the edges of the upper lip. But the male musk deer’s fangs grow throughout his life, reaching a length of 10 cm!

Animals use them to intimidate their opponents. Two males walk around each other, at a distance of 6-7 meters, and, raising their heads, expose their fangs, showing them to the enemy. They try to take on a frightening appearance, raising their fur “on end”. Sometimes these demonstration games end in a fight. Then the stronger and more dexterous one plunges its sharp fangs into the enemy’s body. Often the fangs break in a fight, and the front legs are used: the opponents hit each other on the ridge with them, jumping up at the same time.

How to distinguish a female from a male

In addition to the fangs, the structure of the skull distinguishes the male from the female. The male musk deer has a more massive and wider anterior section, pronounced supraorbital processes and arches.

Males differ from females very slightly in size and weight.

Habitat

The historical habitat of the musk deer is the eastern part of Asia (with the exception of deserts and lowland areas). But today the places where musk deer live represent two isolated areas:

northern (Altai, Sayan, Eastern Siberia mountains);
southern (Mongolia, China, Tibet, Eastern Himalayas).

Individuals are also found in Korea and on Far East.

Depending on their habitat, there are several types of musk deer:

Siberian;
Sakhalin;
Far Eastern;
Verkhoyansk, or Arctic;
Korean.

As you already understand, the first 4 species live on the territory of our country.

Musk deer are adapted to living in mountain taiga. Thanks to its long legs, it easily climbs and jumps on rocks.

Like any other animal, the musk deer has a well-developed instinct of self-preservation, so it lives in places that are difficult for humans to reach: in thickets of bushes, spruce or fir, on steep slopes of hills or hills.

Lifestyle

Musk deer feed on lichens, tree bark, pine needles, leaves, buds and plants.

Musk deer is a solitary animal. It is rare to see a flock of these deer consisting of 3-4 individuals. The main danger for them is the harza (predatory marten). They are also afraid of being persecuted by lynx, wolverine, fox, wolf, bear and sable.

The musk deer is unable to run away from its pursuer for a long time, therefore, like a hare, it confuses its tracks and hurries to some steep slope where predators cannot reach. There she can sit for a long time, waiting out danger.

These creatures have one amazing feature: they are even capable of high speed change the direction of movement by 90 degrees or stop and stand motionless without making a sound.

Reproduction

Musk deer mate in December - January. After 6-6.5 months, 1-2 cubs are born.

Before giving birth, the female occupies a special “natal” area - a forest area fenced with thickets of bushes or trees, and leads a secretive lifestyle. 5-9 hours after the birth of the offspring, the female takes the calves away from this place and leaves them alone. The cubs lie alone almost all the time. If danger arises, the female warns the calves with sound signals and jumps, seeing which they should hide. Also, by jumping, the female distracts the attention of the predator and takes him away from her babies.

In the first few months, the female does not go far from the calves and feeds them twice a day. Breast-feeding lasts from 3 to 5 months, and then they move on to independent life.

Sexual maturity occurs at about one and a half years. In nature, musk deer live 4-5 years, but in captivity they can live 3 times longer.

Number

Back in 1988, there were about 170 thousand individuals on the territory of our country, but by 2002 their number had decreased by almost 5 times. Almost all subspecies were destroyed Siberian musk deer.

To avoid this completely disappearing rare species deer, the animal was listed in the Russian and world Red Books.

According to 2016 data, the number of musk deer in Russia is 125 thousand individuals.

Musk deer and man

Musk deer are a species whose survival is under threat, primarily due to human actions.

The main reasons for the population decline are hunting of animals and destruction of their habitat.

Today, musk deer are still a game species, but the limit is 1,500 individuals per year.

Why is musk deer valuable?

For a long time, musk deer among a number of Siberian peoples acted as an assistant to the shaman. His costume used animal skin, bones and, of course, fangs.

Amulets made from musk deer tusks are often discovered during excavations. For example, they were found in the burial of shamans of the Stone and Iron Ages.

About 5 thousand years ago, musk deer tusks were used to decorate the cradle to protect the baby from evil spirits. Tuvans, Telengits and Tofalars still use them as a talisman.

Musk

Today, musk deer are more prized for their musk, a thick, strong-smelling brown substance secreted by a musk gland located on the male's belly. This is the most expensive animal product. And one gland of an adult male contains up to 20 g of the mentioned secretion.

Musk deer musk is used in some alternative medicine eastern countries, but it became more widespread in Europe as an odor fixer (in the perfume industry).

Humane Arabs

In the 50s of the last century in Saudi Arabia Farms began to appear where they raised animals and extracted musk without harming them.

How did they do it?

Bait, such as grain, was placed in a stationary trap box.
When the animal entered the box, its door slammed shut
Then the captured animal was moved to an immobilization block, which had a special design that immobilized the animal.
In this block, the male was anesthetized by injection for 40 minutes.
While the animal was sleeping, a silver spatula was inserted into the bag, along the groove of which the secretion flowed out.
After the musk was removed, the musk deer remained in a special box for another 4-5 hours until motor activity was completely restored.

And finally, let’s share with you some interesting facts about an amazing animal.

Musk deer translated from Latin means “carrying musk.”
Males need the musk gland to attract females for mating. During the rut (mating period), males leave “odorous” marks everywhere, intoxicating the female with aroma. The “intoxicated” female quickly finds, using this landmark, the place where the male musk deer lives. No wonder one famous brand perfume, with an emphasis on musk in the composition, is advertised with the words: “Notes of musk delight women.”
Because of the musk deer's tusks for a long time considered a vampire who drinks the blood of other animals.
The animal's spine is very flexible. Musk deer can stand on their hind legs for a long time.
Musk deer “practice” two types of married couples - conservative and archaic. A conservative union involves the mating of an adult male with a young female. An archaic family - a pair of young individuals - can persist throughout their entire life. Adults of the same age often conflict and fight, so their union is short-lived.

The amazing features of the musk deer do not make it invulnerable to predators. But main danger for her there is still a person. We can only hope that someday people will understand that the life of an animal is much more valuable than a bottle of perfume, even the most elite one.

Musk deer (Moschus moschiferus Linn) is one of the smallest and most unique representatives of deer northern hemisphere. This little deer(some researchers classify the musk deer as a separate family) with a height at the withers of no more than half a meter and has a number of specific features. Thus, the musk deer does not have horns, but the males have highly developed upper fangs, which protrude down from the mouth, and their ends fall below the chin. These fangs grow throughout life, reaching 7-10 centimeters in adult males, and they have a sharp cutting rear edge. In females, the upper canines are short and do not protrude beyond the lip. In the life of male musk deer, they are as important as the antlers of other representatives of deer.

The musk deer would look more slender and graceful if it were not for the developed hind limbs (the hind legs of the musk deer are one and a half times longer than the front ones), which makes the musk deer look as if hunched over. The chest of musk deer is short and narrow, indicating an inability to run for long periods of time. However, in the process of evolution, the musk deer acquired other advantages that allowed it to survive and thrive in the environment for hundreds and hundreds of thousands of years. harsh conditions mountains Thus, the soft horny rim on the hoof cover keeps it from slipping on rocks and helps it deftly overcome ice. The musk deer has developed an amazing ability to maintain body balance. Even when running rapidly, she is able to change the direction of movement by 90 degrees. Easily turn around and run back on your trail, or instantly stop dead in your tracks and hold on to a small stone. Strong hind legs allow the musk deer to make magnificent acrobatic jumps, both high and long.

Protective coloring, in which faintly outlined light brown spots are scattered in disarray on the general dark brown background of the body, sides and back of the musk deer, makes the musk deer practically invisible in the forest. And not only statically, but also while moving. Such colors seem to dissolve a small deer against the backdrop of growing and fallen trees, among the rocky cliffs and stones of the dark taiga. With age, spotting decreases and may disappear completely. Along the neck of the male, from the chin to the front legs, two light stripes stretch, as if dividing the body into two parts. This helps the musk deer remain invisible when playing. sunlight and shadows. The musk deer's belly is light brown or grayish in color. The hairline consists mainly of densely adjacent, slightly curling large guard hairs. In winter, the medullary layer is extremely developed in them, which helps the animal retain heat in severe frosts.
The historical range of the musk deer occupied almost the entire eastern half of the Asian continent, replete with vast mountain systems and stretching from northern border taiga to South China, Burma, Vietnam, the greatest mountains on the planet - the Himalayas, India. Occupying such a vast territory, musk deer has insignificant differences, forming several geographical forms, the so-called subspecies.

On northern territory More than 90% of the total world population of musk deer is concentrated in Russia. Mountain systems Eastern Siberia, Yakutia-Sakha, Altai, Sayan, Magadan and Amur regions, the Far East (except Kamchatka) and Sakhalin - this small deer can be found everywhere in the mountain taiga forests.
The southern territories where musk deer live are islands of small pockets where musk deer live and remain. In addition to Russia, musk deer live in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Korea, China, and Nepal. In India, where musk deer occupies a biological niche mainly at the upper limit of the mountain forests of the Himalayas and in the mountain forests of Vietnam, this deer has been exterminated almost everywhere and is rare. The same fate befell the musk deer in densely populated Eastern China. In Nepal, it can be found only in certain areas, mainly in well-protected national parks.

Due to its biology, the musk deer is a highly specific ungulate animal, adapted to living in mountain taiga landscapes. Here it mainly inhabits the middle mountain belt, preferring dark coniferous forests of the taiga, consisting of cedar, spruce, fir and larch. Favorite places The habitat of musk deer in such forests is areas with dense undergrowth and thickets of bushes with rocky outcrops. The density of musk deer in the dark coniferous taiga, corresponding to environmental features of this species can reach 30 individuals per 1000 hectares. However, our East Siberian taiga forests do not always meet the requirements necessary for musk deer; it is their variegated mosaic of vegetation that causes greater uneven distribution. Musk deer can also be found in secondary forests that arise on old burnt areas, but the places where they are present are always associated with the remains of old dark coniferous forests. The plasticity of the musk deer as a species lies in the fact that it is able to live in forests without rocky outcrops. If the taiga is windy, where there are many refuges and shelters in the form of fallen trunks, musk deer can live there with the same density as in rugged mountainous terrain.

Northern forests, or, as they are also called, boreal forests (named greek god north wind Boreas), grow in one of the harshest climates on the planet. The temperature range in the Eastern Siberian taiga ranges from - 50°C to + 35°C, and, nevertheless, this deer was able to master these spaces in the process of evolution. Throughout the entire territory from the right bank of the great Siberian river Yenisei to Pacific Ocean there is a continuous series of vast plateaus and ridges, related friend with a friend on the spurs. Here grow endless taiga forests, three quarters of which are in the permafrost zone, consisting of cedar, spruce, fir, larch, growing here in continuous massifs. Dark cedars and dense thickets of fir and spruce to blackness - this is the musk deer taiga. Only larch forests transform such a taiga, but even here dark coniferous giants grow along the valleys of rivers and streams flowing from the mountain slopes. In these gloomy forests, only narrow animal paths littered with dead trees allow a traveler on foot to pass. The world of the musk deer is the taiga, where mosses and lichens climb high on trees and dress them in a whimsical manner, sometimes completely covering the trunks, sometimes hanging from the branches with tassels and fringes, making them even more unattractive to the human eye. Strange, depressing forests.
In gloomy thickets littered with fallen trees, even the eternal enemies of the musk deer - wolverine, lynx or the beautiful Far Eastern marten harza (a native of the Himalayas) - have a hard time sneaking up on the musk deer. Large predators – brown bear, the wolf almost never manages to catch a musk deer. Common sounds that warn musk deer about possible danger in such a forest are the cracking of branches, the rustling of leaves, and the creaking of snow. Only when the wind rages in the taiga, breaking off old branches and knocking down the snow pile, does the musk deer react to the noise to a lesser extent, and the predator has a chance to catch this deer, sneaking up close to it, and instead of chasing it for a long time, starving it out. Constantly on guard, ready to instantly take off, possessing swiftness on short distances, elusiveness, the musk deer simply physically cannot run for long. All its evolutionary abilities to survive in the taiga did not require endurance; during prolonged pursuit, the musk deer develops shortness of breath, and is forced to make frequent stops to rest. The tireless pursuit of the predator inevitably led the musk deer to death, and here it developed special tactics. Winding and confusing the trail, she goes to the sludge. Making its way along ledges and narrow cornices, it climbs into a place inaccessible to the predator and remains there until the threat to its life has passed. In addition to jumping from ledge to ledge, musk deer are capable of walking along overhanging cornices, the width of which often does not exceed several tens of centimeters. And if you consider that the trail is at a considerable altitude, then this is a serious test for the musk deer itself. It is on this ability of the musk deer to escape from danger that the hunt for it is often based. A good animal husky chases a musk deer and does not get confused, succumbing to all sorts of tricks that the animal plays. Constant persecution forces the musk deer to retire. The hunter can only go out to intercept, sensitively listening to the sounds of the chase, or approach the barking of his four-legged assistant. Knowing the places of settling, you can approach in advance and hear the approach of the musk deer by the sound of hooves and rapid breathing. This method of hunting musk deer is the most interesting and exciting, as it allows you to enjoy the work of the bestial husky.

Young musk deer learn this method of protection from their mother. In May–June, before calving, females stay close to shelters. Having brought one or two, and occasionally three cubs weighing only 300-500 grams, the mother almost immediately begins teaching them to survive. At first, she teaches them to hide, but already at the age of 3-5 weeks, the musk deer begins to teach young musk deer to go into the sludge. To do this, the female gives a false danger signal and quickly climbs onto the rocks; the cubs, in an effort to keep up with the mother, repeat all her movements. Unadapted, weak musk deer may die if they fall off a narrow eaves, but this is a kind of natural selection. Musk deer's favorite food is various types terrestrial and tree lichens. The musk deer moves with its head slightly lowered in search of food. Having discovered a lichen, she raises her head, sometimes crouches, and can stand on her hind legs, while stretching her legs and dancing. The musk deer can remain in this position for up to 10 seconds. Sometimes it uses low horizontal tree branches or the trunks themselves as support, throwing its front legs over them in order to cut off the most delicious strands of lichens with sharp incisors in comfortable conditions. When searching for food in its area, the musk deer clearly focuses on dense and dark places where lichens grow in abundance. A leisurely transition from one fallen tree to another is a typical manner of movement of the musk deer. It is the excess of tree lichens that determines the presence and density of musk deer in a particular area of the taiga. An amazing sense of balance and natural agility allow the musk deer to climb behind lichens along inclined tree trunks to a height of up to 5 meters, deftly clinging to bark and branches with its sharp hooves. The musk deer does not always perform these circus exercises, preferring to collect scraps of lichen from the surface of the snow cover. Constant replenishment of musk deer feed in winter time occurs due to the fall of scraps of lichens and branches overgrown with lichens under the influence of strong winds or snow. Musk deer prefers to eat small pieces of lichen, 1-2 cm in size. It eats only part of larger strands, which gives it the opportunity to reuse them in the future. This is a very important adaptation of the musk deer to living in a permanent territory. Wild ungulates, unlike domestic animals, always leave part of their food behind when moving from place to place, rather than eating it completely. During the snowless period, musk deer willingly switches to the leaves of shrubs, herbaceous plants and mushrooms; it seems to give the lichens the opportunity to rest and recover. In the conditions of the dark coniferous mountain taiga, the musk deer has practically no competitors in food. IN summer time Musk deer, like other ungulates, suffers from heat and emerging midges. It is in the summer that it migrates to the char zone, in search of salvation from blood-sucking insects. For the winter, she will again descend into the taiga, into the lower and middle zones of the mountains, although she often lingers at the upper border of the forest. When heavy snow falls, and in eastern Siberia it does not pack, musk deer move to steep slopes and mountain ridges, where the snow is either blown away by the wind or slides under its own weight. Musk deer roost during the day in places protected from the cold wind.
Musk deer prefer to live in permanent areas without making any significant migrations. It is active, as a rule, at dusk and at night. Only in winter you can follow her tracks daily activity, feeding habits, degree of use of the occupied territory, favorite crossing routes, places for daytime rest. According to the observations of game scientists and commercial hunters, the size of habitats for musk deer of different sexes and ages is different. Adult males have the largest ranges (up to 300 hectares), starting from 3 years of age. In female juveniles of both sexes, the areas are 5-10 times smaller. Already in the second year of life in males they begin to increase almost 2 times. In the areas of males older than 2 years in different years inhabited by one to four females. The role of adult males is very important for the musk deer population, and therefore for the preservation of the entire species; Thus, along the border of males’ territories, females and young of the year occupy places with strong intervals, coniferous undergrowth, where food and protective resources are highest. The distribution and movement of males, starting from the third year of life, depend on the nature of the forest to a lesser extent. Adult males respond primarily to the dispersal of females and neighboring males. During the day, males “patrol” their habitat and travel long distances - up to 5 km. The life of an adult male is much to a greater extent are exposed to danger, they are more often attacked by predators, but this is the price to pay for the right to pass on their genes to the next generations of musk deer. Females and young of the year, especially on cold winter days, move little.

Individual areas of musk deer of the same sex can overlap each other, and they overlap to the greatest extent in males during the rutting period. Close contacts between individuals occur infrequently, but when numbers are high they do occur. This is mainly the breeding season when pairs are formed. Males take part in the rut from the third year of life, and females can bear offspring already at the age of two. Musk deer lead a mostly solitary lifestyle in a permanent way communication is communication based on smells. Marking of the habitat is carried out in males in two ways: by applying specific marks with the smell of glands on various towering objects and by leaving pungently smelling excrement. Males leave both marks all year round. Adult males mark their habitats most intensively in late November - December - up to 50 marks per day. At this time, the rut begins; during this season, males develop the largest territory. It is then that in the frosty air the male musk deer emits a pleasant smell of musk. In January, the activity of males decreases, and the individual territory shrinks again. Reaction of males of different ages to marks, both their own and those of others, left in different times, are not the same. Since strong adult males with grown fangs are the owners of the territories, in the absence of horns, the upper fangs acquire a special role in the struggle for possession of the female, and therefore in protecting their individual territory from rivals. When two males meet in the same territory during the rut, conflicts occur. Basically there is intimidation of the enemy. Two males, equal in strength and age, walk in a circle at a distance of 6-7 m from each other and, raising their heads up, bare and show their fangs to each other. At the same time, the fur stands on end, increasing the true size of each. Most demonstrations end with one person running away, usually a young one, but sometimes fights break out. Males use their fangs to strike at the enemy’s body; the fangs often break off. During fights, males hit each other on the ridge and rump with their front legs, jumping high at the same time. Broken fangs of males and scars on the body are confirmation of the seriousness of tournament fights between males equal in physical strength and age. During deep snow, all musk deer living in this area use the trails, and, unfortunately, poachers take advantage of this by setting their snares on musk deer. Hundreds and thousands of musk deer die in vain in snares.
The musk gland, which produces a secretion created by evolution for the prosperity of the species, and which has become a curse for the musk deer due to endless persecution by people, is located under the skin of the abdomen between the navel and the genitals. Musk deer stream has long been valued in the East, and with the advent of the cosmetics and perfume industry - in Europe. In traditional oriental medicine, musk is considered an unrivaled analgesic and remedy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, helps with colds and rheumatism, and increases potency. In China alone, more than 400 are known medicines, in the production of which musk is used. Musk musk is mentioned in the writings of ancient Arab doctors. The Greeks and Romans used it to make fragrant ointments.

The musk gland begins to produce musk when male musk deer reach maturity, that is, from 2 years of age, and the gland is actively functioning until 11 years of age. Mined in wildlife musk deer extracted the musk gland and dried it in the sun. From the dried musk gland you can get from 20 to 50 grams of musk powder.

After a significant reduction in the number of musk deer in the wild, Asian countries began to seriously engage in keeping and breeding musk deer in captivity. And although the musk deer is considered complex look for breeding, musk deer began to be successfully bred in China in 1958. Currently in this country there are more than two dozen large and small farms specializing in musk deer breeding, and the number of livestock is more than two thousand. There are similar farms in South Korea, India, Mongolia, Nepal and Bhutan, which also receive precious musk from captive deer.

To be fair, it should be noted that for the first time, musk deer breeding in captivity began in Russia. In Altai, back in the 18th century (one of the periods when there was an extraordinary demand for musk, and the number of the animal was undermined everywhere), the first musk deer farms appeared. It was from Altai in 1772 that musk deer were brought to Western Europe, to the Paris Zoo.

In 1976, a farm was built at the Chernogolovka scientific base in the Moscow region, where 2 males and 3 female musk deer were brought, from which they received the first offspring the following year. Over the entire existence of the farm, more than 200 musk deer were born here, including individuals of the 7th generation. All these facts indicate that with proper care, the musk deer is a very flexible species; it is capable of living in new places where it has never been found before. The main difficulty in breeding musk deer is the need to be as close to natural conditions as possible. Musk deer need to live in areas of dark coniferous forest with windfall trees, and under the canopy - thickets of bushes and clearings with grass. Adults coniferous trees provide constant shade. Shrubs or tall grass provide shelter and a source of food. In addition, the litter of a dark coniferous forest contains a specific set of microorganisms that are part of the intestinal microflora of musk deer in the first days of life. In the conditions of lowland European forests, rocks and rocky places are imitated by boardwalks at a height of 2.5 - 3.0 meters, where musk deer considers itself safe and escapes from mosquitoes, horseflies and midges. Musk deer were once the main game animal in the vastness of Eastern Siberia, providing livelihoods for many generations of Siberians. The history of hunting for this animal tells that musk deer has repeatedly lost its commercial importance due to overhunting. But again and again, like the phoenix bird, it restored its numbers, confirming plasticity and survival, especially evident with proper protection or a drop in demand for musk deer. Currently, the number of musk deer in Russia is probably about 150 thousand individuals. It would seem that there is no particular reason for concern, but recent years in addition to poaching appeared new threat for its existence - commercial logging of taiga forests, especially in the Far East. And yet I would like to end the essay about the musk deer on an optimistic note. The musk deer could also live in other territories of Russia, where historically it has never lived. These could be the Kamchatka Peninsula, Ural Mountains, and other suitable territories. But this requires resuscitation of the national program to restore the number of wild animals. An ancient and very interesting hunting object of the Russian fauna, it deserves that musk deer be the prey of not only commercial hunters, but also acquire the status of a popular trophy species. This deer makes it possible not only to hunt it in dense taiga, virgin forests, but also to bring significant income to the regions where it lives. This requires reorientation Russian hunts and hunting in the direction of sport, and not fishing, as it once was in our country. And this has been proven in countries where hunting brings both joy to numerous trophy hunters and money, partly returned to the wild. Russian hunters must understand for themselves that musk deer, a deer with “saber-toothed fangs,” is a real hunting trophy!

Why does a musk deer need tusks? The answer to this question is not entirely obvious, if only because these animals are loners, and also extremely shy. It was not possible to observe them in the wild for quite a long time, and the shamans of the peoples of Siberia used musk deer tusks as amulets.

Such secrecy and mystery gave rise to many speculations, even to the point that the musk deer is supposedly a predator, blood drinker other animals. Of course, this is complete nonsense and today there can be no unscientific speculation on this topic. Scientists have long established that musk deer are herbivores.

By the way, only male musk deer have fangs: they replace the missing horns. Their length sometimes reaches 9 cm and this is a very impressive weapon, albeit a “tournament” one. During the rutting period, male musk deer, fighting for primacy, inflict serious damage on each other. Sometimes the wounds received from an opponent are so severe that the animal dies.

“Well, a deer has fangs instead of antlers. So what?” Oddly enough, the musk deer not only looks quite unusual for a herbivore. Male musk deer have a musk gland on their belly. Actually, for the sake of musk, the musk deer, as well as the muskrat, was hunted very actively until it was under threat of destruction.

Musk- a strong-smelling aromatic substance of animal origin. The aroma is sharp, tart, persistent. It is used both in oriental medicine and in perfume production.

In the Middle Ages, musk was used as a preventative and remedy during epidemics of cholera and plague. During the Tudor dynasty in Great Britain, musk was added to medicines for melancholy. European doctors, until the mid-19th century, prescribed musk for paralysis, nervous disorders, infectious diseases, bronchial asthma, as an anticonvulsant for epilepsy, various spasms of smooth muscles, colic.

Today in China, musk is included in more than 200 medicines. Studies conducted in India have shown that this substance has a general stimulating effect on the heart and central nervous system, and is also effective as an anti-inflammatory agent.

When it was discovered that the musk deer had a musk gland, a hunt began for these animals. Moreover, hunters were interested exclusively in glands. It got to the point that, having obtained what they wanted, the killed animals were simply left in the forest. This led to a reduction in the musk deer population. For the sake of preserving this species, the musk deer was included in the list of specially protected species. Of the subspecies living in the territory Russian Federation, the Sakhalin musk deer is listed in the Red Book, and the Himalayan musk deer is listed in the International Red Book.

However, the desired musk is still mined. And in a completely legal way: from the beginning of the 20th century, musk deer began to be bred on farms. For the first time, such an experiment was carried out in Saudi Arabia - quite successfully. Of course, such farming is a costly business, but the profit from it is also significant.

In some regions of the Russian Federation, hunting musk deer for the purpose of obtaining musk is allowed. The annual harvest limit is about 1,500 animals, and only males are hunted.

Musk deer, escaping from pursuit, can confuse their tracks, like a hare.
-Already in a jump, the animal is able to turn 90 degrees and change the direction of movement or stop completely silently while running.
-The water deer lives in China. These animals are very similar to musk deer.
-The main exporters of dry musk are Russia and China.
-In 1845, the number of musk deer in the Russian part of the range was 250 thousand individuals. And in the first third of the 20th century it did not exceed 10 thousand.

Musk deer or Siberian musk deer is a small even-toed, deer-like animal, a member of the musk deer family.

Appearance of musk deer

In its appearance and behavior, the musk deer occupies an intermediate position between fawns and deer. The length of its body is up to 1 m, the tail is 4-6 cm, the height at the withers is up to 70 cm; weight - 11-18 kg. The hind legs are unusually long, so the sacrum of a standing musk deer is 5-10 cm higher than the withers. The tail is short.

Unlike deer, which the musk deer is sometimes classified as, it does not have antlers. Males have long curved fangs protruding from under the upper lip by 7-9 cm; serve as a tournament weapon. They also have an abdominal gland that produces musk.

The musk gland can contain up to 20 grams of a strong-smelling precious product.

The musk deer's fur is thick and long, but brittle. The color is brown or brown. Young animals have fuzzy light gray spots scattered on their sides and back. The general build resembles that of a deer. The hooves are thin, sharp and can move apart greatly, and the animal also relies on underdeveloped hooves.

Musk deer habitat

Almost the entire world population of musk deer is distributed in northern Russia. The habitat of the species is the Altai and Sayan mountains, the mountain systems of Eastern Siberia and Yakutia, the Far East and Sakhalin. Musk deer live in all taiga forests of mountainous areas.

On southern territories The species lives in small pockets in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, Korea, and Nepal. Musk deer were also found in India, at the foothills of the Himalayas, but have now been practically exterminated there.

The same fate befell him in the mountains of Vietnam. Musk deer live in dense forests on steep mountain slopes. Most often you can find it at an altitude of 600-900 meters, but they are also found at 3000 meters in the mountains of the Himalayas and Tibet.

Musk deer migrate very rarely, preferring to stay in the selected area of the territory. Females and young-of-the-year deer have a small territory, while adult males, older than three years old, occupy up to 30 hectares. taiga forest for their lands.

Females and young of the year are mainly guided by the amount of food, and the habitat of individual males depends on the number of females in the territory, and the absence of other males. Each male’s territory is usually home to one to three females.

Musk deer have adapted to life even in boreal northern forests. Temperature fluctuations in the Eastern Siberian taiga are very high: from -50 to +35 C⁰, but still these artiodactyls live there too.

Starting from the right bank of the Siberian Yenisei to the Pacific Ocean, gloomy, endless taiga grows, three quarters of which are located in the permafrost belt. Vast plateaus and ridges, covered with dense forests of fir, cedar, and spruce, are completely impassable.

And only narrow animal trails between fallen trees will help the traveler find a landmark. These dreary, cold, empty forests, completely overgrown with lichens and mosses, have chosen musk deer as their home.

Musk deer lifestyle and nutrition

The musk deer is an excellent jumper, with almost no equal in maneuverability. She is capable of changing the direction of travel by 90° while galloping, without slowing down. Fleeing from its pursuer, the musk deer, like a hare, confuses its tracks.

The musk deer's diet is dominated by epiphytic and terrestrial lichens. In winter, their share in her diet is 65-95%. This feeding feature determines the distribution of musk deer across isolated areas. As an additive to the diet, it also eats fir and cedar needles, some umbelliferae, blueberry leaves, ferns, horsetails and other plant foods. Typically, animals feed near windfall trees covered with lichens, eat them from fallen branches and collect lichen litter from the surface of the snow. A musk deer collecting food can climb an inclined tree trunk or jump from branch to branch to a height of 3-4 m.

Musk deer have a lot natural enemies. In the Far East, its main enemy is the kharza, which hunts musk deer in families. Lynx often lie in wait for musk deer to feed; pursued by wolverine and fox.

On days of snowstorms and winds, when the forest cracks and branches break, musk deer do not always hear the sneaking predator. The musk deer has a chance to escape if it manages to do so within a short distance.

The musk deer cannot run for a long time, physically its body is very resourceful, but at high speed shortness of breath quickly appears, the musk deer is forced to stop to rest, and on straight terrain it cannot hide from the fleet-footed and hardy lynx or wolverine.

But in mountainous areas, musk deer have developed their own tactics for protecting themselves from persecution. She confuses the trail, meanders, and goes into places inaccessible to her enemies, making her way there along narrow cornices and ledges.

In a safe place, the musk deer awaits danger. Natural characteristics allow the musk deer to jump from ledge to ledge and walk along narrow cornices, only a few tens of centimeters long.

Social structure and reproduction of musk deer

Musk deer live alone, less often in groups of up to three heads. IN family groups contacts between animals are peaceful, but towards strangers they are extremely aggressive. During the rut, real fights take place between males of the same age - the animals seem to chase each other, trying to hit the enemy’s croup, ridge or neck with their front legs or fangs. During long fights, one of the fighters often knocks the other to the ground, kicks him, and then sinks his fangs into him, which can lead to the death of the vanquished.

Musk deer mate in December-January. After 185-195 days, females give birth to 1-2 cubs.

Young musk deer reach sexual maturity at the age of 15-18 months. Their lifespan in nature is 4-5 years, 10-14 years in captivity.

Myths and legends about musk deer

Because of its fangs growing from its upper jaw, the musk deer has long been considered a vampire that drinks the blood of other animals.

In ancient times people considered it evil spirit, and the shamans tried to get his fangs as a trophy. The name musk deer translated from Greek means “bearing musk.” Appearance Musk deer have attracted naturalists since ancient times, and many are still willing to travel hundreds of kilometers along mountain paths to see them in person.

Population status and protection of musk deer

The popularity and high cost of musk marked the beginning of the mass extermination of musk deer. Due to uncontrolled fishing and poaching, the number of musk deer in Russia is rapidly falling. If in 1988 it was estimated at 160-170 thousand, then by 2002 it dropped to a level of 32-40.5 thousand individuals.

Musk deer is included in the International Red Data Book with the status of “vulnerable species”. Trade in its musk is controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES): due to its low numbers, the Himalayan musk deer is listed in Appendix I to the Convention and trade in its musk is prohibited. Musk from the Chinese and Siberian subspecies of musk deer, which are listed in Appendix II, is allowed for sale, but under strict international control.

The Siberian musk deer species in Russia is on the verge of extinction and is listed in the Red Book of Russia.