Species Tufted Deer

Tufted Deer

The tufted deer, Elaphodus cephalophus, is a small species of deer characterized by a prominent tuft of black hair on its forehead and fang-like canines for the males.

It is a close relative of the muntjac, living somewhat further north over a wide area of central China and northeastern Myanmar. Although suffering from overhunting and habitat loss, this deer is not considered to be endangered. It is the only member of the genus Elaphodus. It is restricted to forested mountain habitat up to 4500 m above sea level, making study difficult.

The tufted deer is similar to a muntjac in appearance, but the longer necks and legs give it a slightly leaner appearance.

The coat is coarse with short and stiff hairs, being almost black in the winter and chocolate brown in the summer. The lips, tip of the ears, and the underside of the tails are white. A tuft of horseshoe shaped hair is present on the forehead, being brown to black, and can be up to 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this deer are the fang-like canines in the males of the species. These can grow up to 2.6 cm (1.0 in) long, or longer in rare cases.

The tufted deer is found mainly in China, where it occurs in the south from eastern coast to eastern Tibet. It is absent from the extreme south of the country. There are old records of this species in northeastern Myanmar, but recent surveys failed to find any, possibly due to the lack of surveys on the preferred habitat.