Elaphodus cephalophus, Milne-Edwards, 1872

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Cervidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-443 : 409

1.

Tufted Deer

Elaphodus cephalophus

French: Elaphode / German: Schopfhirsch / Spanish: Elafodo

Taxonomy. Elaphodus cephalophus Milne-Edwards, 1872 ,

Moupin, Sichuan ( China).

Distinct genus closely related to Muntiacus . Three subspecies are generally recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

E.c.cephalophusMilne-Edwards,1872—SWChina;oldrecordsfromNMyanmar.

E.c.ichangensisLydekker,1904—SChina.

E. c. michianus Swinhoe, 1874 — SE China.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 100-120 cm, tail 7-13 cm, shoulder height 50-70 cm; weight 17-30 kg. Relatively largesized muntiacine, with shortened head, short and thin pedicles, and diminutive unbranched antlers hidden by a distinct tuft of tall hair on the top of the head. Ears and tail are small. The coat is mainly dark brown, legs are black. White marks at the base and the tip of the ear. The underside of the tail is white. The fur is coarse. Frontal ridges are weak, large upper canines are present in both sexes. Frontal glands are absent, preorbital gland very large, metatarsal glands present but small. Newborn fawns have one or two rows of faint white spots. Antlers are not shed.

Habitat. Compared to the members of genus Muntiacus , it is adapted to cooler climates. It lives in high damp forests up to the tree line and close to water, up to 4750 m above sea level.

Food and Feeding. Eats bamboo, forbs, fruit, and grass.

Breeding. Females sexually mature at about 10-12 months of age. Mating season is September-December. After about 180 days of pregnancy, in April-July, females give birth to one or two fawns.

Activity patterns. Active mainly at dawn and dusk.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Observed alone or in pairs. When disturbed it flees with cat-like jumps with tail held up and wagging. It barks like a muntjac when alarmed.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List and it is decreasing. Overhunting is a major threat.

Bibliography. Groves & Grubb (1990), Harris (2008a), Ohtaishi & Gao (1990), Smith & Xie Yan (2008), Zhang Zejun et al. (2004).

Figures

1. Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus), 2. Bornean Yellow Muntjac (Muntiacus atherodes), 3. Reeves’s Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), 4. Giant Muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis), 5. Fea’s Muntjac (Muntiacus feae), 6. Gongshan Muntjac (Muntiacus gongshanensis), 7. Black Muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons), 8. Red Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak), 9. Leat Mungac (Muntiacus putaoensis), 10. Puhoat Muntjac (Muntiacus puhoatensis), 11. Annamite Mungac (Muntiacus truongsonensis), 12. Roosevelts’ Muntjac (Muntiacus rooseveltorum)

Subspecies and Distribution. E.c.cephalophusMilne-Edwards,1872—SWChina;oldrecordsfromNMyanmar. E.c.ichangensisLydekker,1904—SChina. E. c. michianus Swinhoe, 1874 — SE China .