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Siberian Musk Deer:

Introduction

Their small shape allows them to hide from predators through tiny openings in the rocky terrain and also allow them to run exceptionally fast from their predators. Although bearing fangs, the Siberian musk deers are actually herbivores with their main source of nutrients, lichens.

Due to the severe amount of poaching for its musk gland, meat and deforestation, the deer population is continuing to decrease. It is expected that the population will be reduced to at least 30% over the next three generations. However, efforts from each sighted countries are beginning to reintroduce the musk deer’s population.

Taxonomy

Siberia and Mongolia Musk Deer - M. m. moschiferus

Russian Far East - M. m. turovi 

Verkhoyansk Ridge - M. m. arcticus

Sakhalin - M. m. sachalinensis

Korea - M. m. parvipes

Central China - M. chrysogaster

Himalayas - M. leucogaster 

Maturity and Mating

It takes approximately a year for the Siberian musk deer to reach maturity with an average deer to live at least 10 – 14 years.

During breeding season, male deer will grow fangs instead of antlers . These fangs are used to compete with other males and attract females. Fangs that are longer and stronger creates a more intimidating stance and becomes more attractive to females as the offspring of that male are likely to become healthier and fit.

Once the male and the female deer have procreated, the females will become pregnant lasting over 6 months and can give birth to 1-3 offspring, usually between the months of May through June.

Behaviors

Musk will mark their territory warning trespassing dears not to cross the boundary. When marking their territories, musk deer gather fallen branches, tree trunks, as well as plant stems and place them in a circle. While placing the various branches around the circle, the deer will often do an olfactory examination and turn the back of its body towards the marked territories. Other ways the Siberian Musk Deer will mark its territory is by defecating in already marked territories or unclaimed territories.

The lichen is the primary food source for the Siberian Musk Deer

Habitat and Diet

Most Siberian Musk Deer are generally nocturnal inhabiting the mountainous taiga and found in shrub-covered slopes where foods are abundant. The rocky location provides crevices and crags for the musk deer to hide from many predators, such as lynx and wolverines.

Musk deer have a preference for easily digestible nutritious foods that are both rich in protein and low in fiber. During periods of winter, musk deer can survive in even poorer food quality ranging in foods that are low in proteins but are high in energy and can be easily digested .

The majority of their diet consists mostly of lichens, pine needles, leaves, and tree barks. During the winter, 99% of musk deer’s diet are lichens. Siberian Musk deer have a preference for easily digestible nutritious foods.

Threats

The decline of the Siberian Musk Deer’s population began in China where most of the deer population was abundant. Most notably in the Sichuan plains, the musk production was accounted for 80% of the domestic trade in the 1950s . New sightings of musk deer was later spotted in the upper northeast Asia and Russia; these spotted places soon opened their own musk market. After the 1980s, the production begins to steadily decline due to hunting for their musk glands. Then the cycle of over-harvesting the deer’s musk continued until the exploitation severely reduced the musk deer’s population.

Another threat comes from the habit loss by deforestation. For a long period, China cut more of its forest than they could replant. 200million cm³ of China’s forest recourses were cut down in the past 25 years in order to harvest the timber stock and trade for commerce. Deforestation is a severe threat to the musk deer’s long term survival because the deer can only live in a few areas.

Conservation Action

The Siberian musk deer is considered vulnerable, but is slowly declining to endangerment. In Russia, the Siberian Musk Deer is protected as Very Rare under part 7.1 of the Law of the Mongolian Animal Kingdom (2000) and also under the 1995 Mongolian Hunting Law. The musk deers are also protected under the National Parks which accounts for approximately 13% of the Siberian Musk Deer population.

In China, at the international level, trading musk is controlled through CITES. All trades regarding musk is permitted to strict regulation to avoid exploitation of the survival of the deer .

Other efforts include

•Breeding the musk deers in captivity farms in both Russia and China.

•China has enacted many law and regulations to preserve rare animals and their habitats, many such as Wildlife Protection Law and the Forestry Law.

•Organization such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working through the American government to urge the efforts of protecting the musk deer and many other endangered species’ population.

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