Habitat
Tufted deer inhabit high valley jungles
and mountain forests ranging from 1,000-15,000 feet (300-4,570 m).
They are always found close to water. |
Length
and Shoulder Height
Adult length: 43-63 inches (109-160
cm). Western tufted deer are the largest subspecies of tufted deer.
Adult shoulder height: 20-28 inches
(50-70 cm)
|
Weight
37-110 pounds (17-50 kg); males are slightly
larger than females |
Life
Span
Life span in the wild is unknown; tufted deer
live in zoos at least 15 years |
Diet
In the wild: Tufted deer are browsers and grazers, eating grasses and other vegetation
and some fruit. Their stomach has four chambers, through which
food must pass before the digestion process is complete.
At the zoo: Hay,
alfalfa, herbivore pellets, some fruits and vegetables, and
browse. |
Reproduction
Male and female tufted deer become sexually mature
at approximately 2 years of age. In the wild, the mating season takes
place during late fall and early winter. Gestation period lasts about
six months after which one or two fawns are born in late spring and early
summer.
Life Cycle
Fawns are colored like their parents except
for a row of spots on each side of the mid-line of the back. These
spots disappear when the fawn reaches maturity. Young become independent
of their mothers when they are about 6 months old.
Tufts-Are-Us
Tufted deer are named for the "tuft" of hair on their forehead. Males
grow small antlers, which are sometimes completely hidden by this tuft
of hair. The deer's head and neck are inclined to be gray in
color, the upper parts of the body deep chocolate-brown (almost black
in winter) and the undersides white. Tufted deer also have white markings
on the tips of their ears, the underside of their tail and their muzzle.
Their fur is very coarse, almost spine-like, which gives them a shaggy
look.
Tufted deer are mostly solitary, occasionally observed
traveling in pairs. They have acute vision, hearing and sense of
smell. These deer live within well-defined home territories from
which they do not migrate. They are shy, usually resting during the
day and becoming active as night approaches. Within their home territories,
tufted deer travel along well-established paths.
Chewing the Cud
Tufted deer do not have incisors in
the upper jaw. Instead of upper incisors, they possess a callous pad
which presses against the lower jaw’s incisors, allowing the
deer to tear off vegetation as it feeds. The upper canines of males
develop into short tusks which may be used for fighting.
Keeping in Contact
Nearly all deer possess glands situated just in front of their eyes.
These pre-orbital glands are sacs that open on the skin surface and
discharge a strong-smelling secretion. One theory explaining why deer
possess these glands is that they are used to scent-mark objects in
their territory. Another theory is that the scent excreted from these
glands enables other deer to recognize their presence and to keep in
contact with one another.
|
Fascinating
Facts
- Tufted deer bark when they are alarmed and
during the mating season!
- When feeding, tufted deer carry their tails
high. When bounding off, their tails flop with every bound,
exposing the white underside!
- The western tufted deer was discovered in
China by western scientists in 1870, but was not confirmed
in other areas until 1925!
|
Woodland Park Zoo maintains one western tufted deer.
It is located beside the Malayan tapir area at the Trail of Vines
exhibit in Tropical Asia. So little is known about tufted deer in
the wild that it is almost a mystery. By studying them at Woodland
Park Zoo, we may answer some questions about the mysterious tufted
deer that will contribute to their survival, as well as that of other
Asian deer species.
The tufted deer is not listed as an endangered species**.
As their habitats are diminished, however, due to overpopulation,
clearing of land for agriculture, logging and other human activities,
their future remains uncertain. In 1985, the San Diego Zoo received
the first group of western tufted deer exported from China. In 1993,
San Diego loaned Woodland Park Zoo two western tufted deer, enabling
Woodland Park to participate in the North American breeding program.
Woodland Park Zoo is successfully breeding these deer; young are
sent to other American zoos so that they may breed new generations
of tufted deer.
How You Can Help!
The effort to save threatened and endangered species often requires
cooperation and support at the international, national, regional
and individual levels. You can help in this cause. Join
and become active in Woodland Park Zoo and other conservation organizations
of your choice. Let your elected representatives know your views
about conservation of endangered species and wild habitats.
Contact Woodland Park Zoo at webkeeper@zoo.org to find out
about ways you can support conservation programs at the zoo. Learn
other ways you can help conserve wildlife and the habitats they require
for survival by visiting our How You Can Help page.
Sources and Suggested
Reading
Macdonald, David, ed. 1993. The Encyclopedia
of Mammals. Facts on File, Inc., New York, NY. 895 p.
Nowak, Ronald M., ed. 1991. Walker's
Mammals of the World. 5th Edition. The John Hopkins University Press,
Baltimore and London. 1,629 p.
Whitehead, G. Kenneth. 1993. The Whitehead Encyclopedia
of Deer. Voyager Press, Stillwater, MN. 597 p.
More
References
* Taxonomic classification varies between
references. Classification information used in this fact sheet was
taken from Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic And Geographic
Reference, edited by Don E. Wilson and Dee Ann M. Reeder, Second
Edition, 1993.
**Woodland Park Zoo identifies an animal or
plant endangered if it is listed as endangered (in any part of its
range) on the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Species,
or if is listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). |
Classification
and Range
