| Moschidae | |
|---|---|
 A Siberian Musk Deer | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Artiodactyla |
| Family | Moschidae |
Moschidae is a family from the Artiodactyla order.
Appearence-Behaviour[]
Musk deer resemble small deer with a stocky build, and hind legs longer than their front legs. They are approximately 80 to 100 centimetres (31 to 39 in) long, 50 to 70 centimetres (20 to 28 in) tall at the shoulder, and weigh between 7 and 17 kilograms (15 and 37 lb). The feet of musk deer are adapted for climbing in rough terrain. Like the Chinese water deer, a cervid, they have no antlers, but the males do have enlarged upper canines, forming sabre-like tusks.The musk gland is found only in adult males. It lies in a sac located between the genitals and the umbilicus, and its secretions are most likely used to attract mates.Musk deer are herbivores, living in hilly, forested environments, generally far from human habitation. Like true deer, they eat mainly leaves, flowers, and grasses, with some mosses and lichens. They are solitary animals, and maintain well-defined territories, which they scent mark with their caudal glands. Musk deer are generally shy, and either nocturnal, or crepuscular.Males leave their territories during the rutting season, and compete for mates, using their tusks as weapons. Female musk deer give birth to a single fawn after about 150–180 days. The newborn young are very small, and essentially motionless for the first month of their life, a feature that helps them remain hidden from predators.Musk deers have been hunted for their scent glands, which can fetch up to $45,000/kg on the black market. It is rumored that ancient royalty wore the scent of the musk deer and that it is an aphrodisiac.
Evolution[]
Musk deer may be a surviving representative of the Palaeomerycidae, a family of ruminants that is probably ancestral to deer. They originated in the early Oligocene epoch and disappeared in the Pliocene. Most species lacked antlers, though some were found in later species. The musk deer are, however, still placed in a separate family.
Genera[]
Family Moschidae
†Genus Hydropotopsis Hydropotopsis lemanensis †Genus Hispanomeryx Hispanomeryx aragonensis Hispanomeryx daamsi Hispanomeryx duriensis Hispanomeryx andrewsi †Genus Oriomeryx Oriomeryx major Oriomeryx willii †Genus Friburgomeryx Friburgomeryx wallenriedensis †Genus Bedenomeryx Bedenomeryx truyolsi Bedenomeryx milloquensis Bedenomeryx paulhiacensis †Genus Dremotheriinae †Genus Pomelomeryx Pomelomeryx boulangeri Pomelomeryx gracilis †Genus Dremotherium Dremotherium cetinensis Dremotherium guthi Dremotherium quercyi Dremotherium feignouxi †Subfamily Blastomerycinae Genus Pseudoblastomeryx Pseudoblastomeryx advena Genus Machaeromeryx Machaeromeryx tragulus Genus Longirostromeryx Longirostromeryx clarendonensis Longirostromeryx wellsi Genus Problastomeryx Problastomeryx primus Genus Parablastomeryx Parablastomeryx floridanus Parablastomeryx gregorii Genus Blastomeryx Blastomeryx gemmifer Subfamily Moschinae †Genus Micromeryx Micromeryx styriacus Micromeryx flourensianus Genus Moschus Moschus moschiferus, Siberian musk deer Moschus anhuiensis, Anhui Musk Deer Moschus berezovskii, Dwarf Musk Deer or Chinese Forest Musk Deer Moschus fuscus, Black musk deer or dusky musk deer Moschus chrysogaster, Alpine Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster chrysogaster Moschus chrysogaster sifanicus Moschus cupreus, Kashmir Musk deer Moschus leucogaster, White-bellied or Himalayan Musk Deer
