Fourteen species of small deer from South and Southeast Asia, also called barking deer. Males have short antlers but fight with long, downward-pointing canine "tusks". Reeves's muntjac has spread widely in England after releases and escapes from Woburn Abbey in the early 1900s.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
Its low-fat meat is noted for its culinary qualities.
At a glance
Found inAsia, Europe
HabitatForest, Rainforest, Scrub
ColoursBrown, Red
SizeSmall
LengthReeves's muntjac: about 95 cm
HeightReeves's muntjac: up to 50 cm at the shoulder
WeightReeves's muntjac: 10–18 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for10–13 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- South and Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan; Reeves's muntjac introduced to Britain, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan.
- What it eats
- Herbs, blossoms, shoots, fungi, berries, grasses and nuts, and occasionally eggs and carrion.
Did you know
Barks like a dog when alarmed, and the males fight with small tusks.
The southern red muntjac has the lowest chromosome number of any mammal: 7 in males and just 6 in females.
Muntjacs can mate at any time of year, a habit they kept even after being introduced to cooler countries.
Often confused with
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