Chevrotain

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Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates

title: "Chevrotain" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chevrotains", "extant-miocene-first-appearances", "mammal-families", "mammals-of-southeast-asia", "mammals-of-sri-lanka"] description: "Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates" topic_path: "general/chevrotains" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrotain" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of mammals belonging to even-toed ungulates ::

::callout[type=note] the deer ::

| name = Chevrotain | fossil_range = | image = Mouse-deer_Singapore_Zoo_2012.JPG | image_caption = Lesser mouse-deer (Tragulus kanchil) | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Tragulidae | authority = H. Milne-Edwards, 1864 | type_genus = Tragulus | type_genus_authority = Brisson, 1762 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = * Hyemoschus

Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small, even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, and are the only living members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, but several species also are known only from fossils. The extant species are found in forests in South and Southeast Asia; a single species, the water chevrotain, is found in the rainforests of Central and West Africa. In November 2019, conservation scientists announced that they had photographed silver-backed chevrotains (Tragulus versicolor) in a Vietnamese forest for the first time since the last confirmed sightings in 1990.

They are solitary, or live in loose groupings or pairs, and feed almost exclusively on plant material. With an average length of 45 cm and an average height of 30 cm, the Java mouse-deer is the smallest surviving ungulate (hoofed) mammal, as well as the smallest artiodactyl (even-toed ungulate). Despite their common name of "mouse-deer", they are not closely related to true deer, hence the orthographic distinction by means of the hyphen.

Etymology

The word "chevrotain" comes from the Middle French word chevrot (kid or fawn), derived from chèvre (goat).

The single African species is consistently known as "chevrotain". The names "chevrotain" and "mouse-deer" have been used interchangeably among the Asian species, though recent authorities typically have preferred chevrotain for the species in the genus Moschiola and mouse-deer for the species in the genus Tragulus. Consequently, all species with pale-spotted or -striped upper parts are known as "chevrotain" and without are known as "mouse-deer".

The Telugu name for the Indian spotted chevrotain is jarini pandi, which literally means "a deer and a pig". The Tamil term is சருகு மான் sarukumāṉ "leaf-pile deer". The Sinhala name si roughly translates to "mouse-like deer". This was used in the scientific name of the Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain, M. meminna.

Biology

The family was widespread and successful from the Oligocene (34 million years ago) through the Miocene (about 5 million years ago), but has remained almost unchanged over that time and remains as an example of an archaic ruminant type. They have four-chambered stomachs to ferment tough plant foods, but the third chamber is poorly developed. Unlike other artiodactyls, they lack an carotid rete, and so cannot heat exchange cool blood entering their brains, a thermoregulatory innovation that allows other artiodactyls to exploit hot arid habitats. Though most species feed exclusively on plant material, the water chevrotain occasionally takes insects and crabs or scavenges meat and fish. Like other ruminants, they lack upper incisors. They give birth to only a single young.

In other respects, however, they have primitive features, closer to nonruminants such as pigs. All species in the family lack antlers and horns, but both sexes have elongated canine teeth. These are especially prominent in males, where they project out on either side of the lower jaw, and are used in fights.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Rare_mating_photograph_of_'Mouse_Deers'_at_Singapore_Zoo(23-10-07).JPG" caption="mouse-deer"] ::

They are solitary or live in pairs. The young are weaned at three months of age, and reach sexual maturity between 5 and 10 months, depending on species. Parental care is relatively limited. Although they lack the types of scent glands found in most other ruminants, they do possess a chin gland for marking each other as mates or antagonists, and, in the case of the water chevrotain, anal and preputial glands for marking territory. Their territories are relatively small, on the order of 13 –, but neighbors generally ignore each other, rather than compete aggressively.

Some of the species show a remarkable affinity with water, often remaining submerged for prolonged periods to evade predators or other unwelcome intrusions. This has also lent support to the idea that whales evolved from water-loving creatures that looked like small deer.

Taxonomy

Tragulidae's placement within Artiodactyla can be represented in the following cladogram:

|label1=Artiodactyla |1={{Clade |1=Tylopoda (camels)[[File:Cladogram of Cetacea within Artiodactyla (Camelus bactrianus).png|50 px]] |label2=Artiofabula |2={{Clade |1=Suina (pigs)[[File:Recherches pour servir à l'histoire naturelle des mammifères (Pl. 80) (white background).jpg|50 px]] |label2=Cetruminantia |2={{Clade |label1=Ruminantia (ruminants) |1={{Clade |1=Tragulidae (mouse-deer)[[File:Tragulus napu - 1818-1842 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - (white background).jpg|50 px]] |2=Pecora (horn bearers)[[File:Walia ibex illustration white background.png|50 px]] |label2=Cetancodonta/Whippomorpha |2={{Clade |1=Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses)[[File:Voyage en Abyssinie Plate 2 (white background).jpg|50 px]] |2=Cetacea (whales)[[File:Bowhead-Whale1 (16273933365).jpg|50 px]]

Traditionally, only four extant species were recognized in the family Tragulidae. In 2005, M. indica and M. kathygre were split from M. meminna. With these changes, the 10 extant species are:

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Moschiola_indica_in_Singapore_Zoo.jpg" caption="Indian spotted chevrotain"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Javan_Chevrotain_(Harvard_University).JPG" caption="Changing taxonomy in the genus Tragulus make exact species identification uncertain, but either ''T. javanicus'' or ''T. kanchil''. Note also the contradicting English and scientific names on the sign on the photo.}}"] ::

Extinct chevrotains

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Dorcatherium.jpg" caption="Reconstruction of ''Dorcatherium'' by [[Heinrich Harder]]."] ::

The Hypertragulidae were closely related to the Tragulidae.

The six extinct chevrotain genera include:

The extinct chevrotains might also include

Mythology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Coat_of_arms_of_Malacca.svg" caption="The supporters of the [[coat of arms of Malacca]] are two mouse-deer, alluding to the founding legend of Malacca."] ::

According to the Malay Annals, King Parameswara, seeking a place to found a new city, came to a place where he saw a mouse-deer (kancil in Malay) kicking his hunting dog into the river. He thought this boded well, remarking, "This place is excellent. Even the mouse deer is formidable. It is best that we establish a kingdom here". This became the Malacca Sultanate and Malacca its capital. In memory of this founding legend, the coat of arms of Malacca depicts two mouse-deer.

The mouse-deer or Sang Kancil is also a well-known trickster of Malay folklore.

Footnotes

References

References

  1. {{MSW3
  2. (2005). "Intraspecific variation in Moschiola, the Indian chevrotain". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
  3. (2008). "Lower dentition of Dorcatherium majus (Tragulidae, Mammalia) in the Lower and Middle Siwaliks (Miocene) of Pakistan". Tur. J. Zool..
  4. (1999). "Walker's Mammals of the World". Johns Hopkins University Press.
  5. (11 November 2019). "Silver-Backed Chevrotain, with Fangs and Hooves, Photographed In Wild for First Time". NPR.org.
  6. (11 November 2019). "Camera-trap evidence that the silver-backed chevrotain Tragulus versicolor remains in the wild in Vietnam". Nature.com.
  7. (11 Nov 2019). "Tiny deer-like animal spotted after 25 years".
  8. "''Hyemoschus aquaticus''".
  9. (1996). "Unique pits on the erythrocytes of the lesser mouse-deer, Tragulus javanicus". Journal of Anatomy.
  10. {{Cite Merriam-Webster. Chevrotain
  11. IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group. (2016). "''Hyemoschus aquaticus''".
  12. Duckworth, J.W.. (2015). "''Moschiola kathygre''".
  13. Duckworth, J.W.. (2015). "''Moschiola meminna''".
  14. (2007). "Absence of carotid rete mirabile in small tropical ruminants: implications for the evolution of the arterial system in artiodactyls". Journal of Anatomy.
  15. (2008-08-23). "The carotid rete and artiodactyl success". Biology Letters.
  16. Kingdon, J.. (1997). "The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals". Academic Press.
  17. Dubost, G.. (1984). "The Encyclopedia of Mammals". Facts on File.
  18. Walker, M.. (2009-07-07). "Aquatic deer and ancient whales". BBC News.
  19. (September 2010). "Aquatic escape behaviour in mouse-deer provides insight into tragulid evolution". Mammalian Biology.
  20. Beck, N.R.. (2006). "A higher-level MRP supertree of placental mammals". BMC Evol Biol.
  21. (2012). "Resolving conflict in eutherian mammal phylogeny using phylogenomics and the multispecies coalescent model". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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  24. Thenius, E.. (1950). "Über die Sichtung und Bearbeitung der jungtertiären Säugetierreste aus dem Hausruck und Kobernaußerwald (O.Ö.)". Verh. Geol. B.-A..
  25. (2010). "A new genus of tragulid ruminant from the early Miocene of Kenya". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
  26. (2001). "New remains of primitive ruminants from Thailand: Evidence of the early evolution of the Ruminantia in Asia". Zoologica Scripta.
  27. (2011-04-21). "Mammalogy". Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  28. (2010). "A new genus of Tragulid ruminant from the Early Miocene of Kenya". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
  29. "Krabitherium".
  30. Mennecart, B., Wazir, W.A., Sehgal, R.K., Patnaik, R., Singh, N.P., Kumar, N. and Nanda, A.C., 2021. New remains of Nalamaeryx (Tragulidae, Mammalia) from the Ladakh Himalaya and their phylogenetical and palaeoenvironmental implications. Historical Biology, pp.1-9.https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.2014479
  31. (October 1952). "The Malay Annals". Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
  32. (2016). "A Comparative Study of Malay and Chinese Trickster Tales: ''Sang Kancil'', The Rabbit and The Rat". Kajian Malaysia.

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