Himalayan musk deer
The Himalayan musk deer or white-bellied musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) is a deer that lives in Central Asia.[2]
| Himalayan musk deer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Moschidae |
| Genus: | Moschus |
| Species: | M. leucogaster
|
| Binomial name | |
| Moschus leucogaster | |
| |
Like other musk deer, the Himalayan musk deer lives in the Himalayan mountains and places around those mountains. They are large plant-eating animals that can live in cold places.[2][3]
Behavior
Himalayan musk deer are active at night and at dawn and dusk. They spend most of their time alone.[3]
Himalayan musk deer all leave their feces in the same place. Scientists call this a latrine site. They do this to mark their territory, meaning to show other deer that a place belongs to them.[2][3]
Scientists have seen them 3200–4200 meters above sea level. Scientists believe Himalayan musk deer like forests with a mixture of Himalayan birch and Himalayan fir trees. They like places with many different kinds of smaller plants.[3]
Threats
Himalayan musk deer are in danger of dying out because human beings trap them for their fur and their musk pods. People use musk pods to make perfumes and in traditional medicines. When people set traps for male musk deer, they trap and kill female musk deer and fawns too.[2][3] In the 21st century, one kilogram of musk pod can pay US$45,000.[4]
References
- ↑ Template:Cite IUCN
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Paras Bikram Singh; Janak Raj Khatiwada; Pradip Saud; Zhigang Jiang (March 20, 2019). "mtDNA analysis confirms the endangered Kashmir musk deer extends its range to Nepal". Scientific Reports. Nature. 9 (1): 4895. Bibcode:2019NatSR...9.4895S. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41167-4. PMC 6426878. PMID 30894581. S2CID 84185484.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Paras Bikram Singh; Pradip Saud; Douglas Cram; Kumar Mainali; Arjun Thapa; Nar Bahadur Chhetri; Laxman Prasad Poudyal; Hem Sagar Baral; Zhigang Jiang (November 24, 2018). "Ecological correlates of Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster". Ecology and Evolution. 9 (1): 4–18. doi:10.1002/ece3.4435. PMC 6342099. PMID 30680091.
- ↑ Kashmir Musk Deer Seen in Afghanistan for First Time in 60 Years. Sci-News. November 2, 2014. http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-kashmir-musk-deer-afghanistan-02248.html. Retrieved July 19, 2021.