Chinese Muntjac
Taxonomy
■ Phylum: Chordata – chordates
■ Class: Mammalia – mammals
■ Order: Artiodactyla – even-toed ungulates
■ Family: Cervidae – deer
■ Species: Muntiacus reevesi – Chinese Muntjac
Conservation
Distribution and habitat
The natural range of the Reeves’s muntjac is, as the name suggests, China and Taiwan. However, as an invasive species, it has also established populations in other parts of the world.
Reeves’s muntjacs are most commonly found in various types of temperate forests. Their small size allows them to move easily through dense undergrowth and remain hidden in thick vegetation.
Adaptions
Reeves’s muntjacs typically weigh between 12 and 16 kilograms, with a shoulder height of about 0.5 meters. Males are distinguished by their small, simple antlers and unusually long canine teeth. Although these teeth resemble those of predators, they are not used for hunting but rather for fights between rival males. Females lack both the long canines and antlers.
Both males and females have two pairs of scent glands on their faces—one located below the eyes and the other at the front of the face. These glands secrete a fluid used for communication. To mark territory, a muntjac opens the glands and rubs its face against objects in its environment. When feeling threatened or defending their territory from rivals, muntjacs are also known to “bark” as a form of warning or communication.
Diet
Reeves’s muntjacs are herbivores, but they are not particularly picky eaters. Their diet includes a wide variety of plants—shrub leaves, bark, fruits, and even fungi. When food is scarce, they can become highly territorial, aggressively defending their feeding grounds from other animals. Interestingly, in times of shortage, muntjacs have also been observed eating meat, including birds, bird eggs, and carrion.
Breeding
Male Reeves’s muntjacs defend their territory from other males, but they may mate with one or several females, whose territories can overlap with theirs. An exception to this is younger males that have not yet grown antlers, as they are not competitive enough to win mates. After the breeding season, males shed their antlers, which then regrow quickly—typically within about three months.
The gestation period lasts around seven months. Usually, one fawn is born, though twins are possible but rare. Only the mother cares for the young, which develop rapidly. Fawns nurse for about two months, and by six months of age, they are fully independent and must leave the mother’s territory.
In their native range in China, muntjacs can breed year-round. However, in introduced populations—such as in the United Kingdom—breeding tends to occur in winter, ensuring that offspring are born in spring. Remarkably, females can become fertile again just a few days after giving birth.
Conservation and threats
Reeves’s muntjac is considered an invasive species in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France. They were originally introduced intentionally as game animals. Escapes from private collections and zoological parks have also contributed to the establishment of wild populations. For this reason, special care is taken when displaying such species in zoos.
Currently, it is believed that the climate in Latvia is not suitable for Reeves’s muntjac to become an invasive species.
References:
https://www.eaza.net/eep-pages
ES LIFE Programmas projekts “Natura 2000 aizsargājamo teritoriju pārvaldības un apsaimniekošanas optimizācija” (LIFE19 IPE/LV/000010 LIFE-IP LatViaNature) C.5.1: Nacionālās bioloģiskās daudzveidības monitoringa programmas apakšprogrammu pielāgošana ar mērķi konstatēt invazīvās sugas.
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Muntiacus_reevesi
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/mammals/muntjac-deer/
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