Leaf muntjac

Last updated

Leaf muntjac
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Muntiacus
Species:
M. putaoensis
Binomial name
Muntiacus putaoensis
Amato, Egan & Rabinowitz, 1999 [2] [3]
Muntiacus putaoensis.png

The leaf muntjac, leaf deer or Putao muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis) is a small species of muntjac. [4] It was documented in 1997 by biologist Alan Rabinowitz during his field study in the isolated Nogmung Township in Myanmar. Rabinowitz discovered the species by examining the small carcass of a deer that he initially believed was the juvenile of another species; however, it proved to be the carcass of an adult female. [4] He managed to obtain specimens, from which DNA analysis revealed a new cervid species. Local hunters knew of the species and called it the leaf deer because its body could be completely wrapped by a single large leaf. [4] It is found in Myanmar and India. [1]

Contents

Distribution and habitat

The leaf muntjac is uniquely found in dense forests of Myanmar, in the Hukawng Valley region to the Northeast of Putao, hence its scientific epithet, and to the south of the Nam Tamai branch of the Mai Hka River. It is found at an altitude of 450 to 600 m; the transition zone between tropical forests and temperate ones. Its existence in India was first reported from the Lohit district in eastern Arunachal Pradesh [5] In 2002, it was reported also to exist in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, also in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, India. [6] It has also been noted from the Lohit and Changlang region and near Noklak in Nagaland. [7] It probably inhabits suitable habitat over the entire junction of the Pātkai Bum and the Kumon Taungdan ranges. In 2008 and 2009, its presence was reported in several new areas of Arunachal Pradesh. [8] [9]

Description

An adult leaf deer stands at just 20 inches (50  cm) high at the shoulder and weighs less than 25 pounds (11  kg). They are light brown. Males have unbranched antlers that are about 1 inch (2.5  cm) in height. Other than this, the male and female deer are identical. [4] This species is unusual among other deer because their offspring do not bear any spots. It also differs from other muntjacs because both the male and female have pronounced canine tusks. [4] The leaf deer species characteristics of being small, preferring to roam alone, and living in habitats of dense forests in the mountains resembles the characteristics of ancient species of deer.

Patterns of activity

Information on leaf muntjac behavior is limited, but similar muntjacs are often crepuscular, with others being both nocturnal and diurnal. In addition, leaf muntjacs are usually solitary, [3] [10] [11] except for during the female muntjac’s pregnancy, in which case the male mating partner will also be present. [6] Fruit and leaf traces upon autopsy indicates their diets contribute to local seed dispersal practices. [6]

Conservation and status

On the IUCN Red List this species is classified as Data Deficient, as there is lack of certainty about its morphology, distribution, taxonomy and ecology. There has been evidence of persistent hunting by local people and this suggests that numbers are decreasing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arunachal Pradesh</span> State in northeast India

Arunachal Pradesh is a state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and largest town. It borders the Indian states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east, and a disputed 1,129 km border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region in the north at the McMahon Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muntjac</span> Genus of deer

Muntjacs, also known as the barking deer or rib-faced deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. Muntjacs are thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland. Most are listed as least-concern species or Data Deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although others such as the black muntjac, Bornean yellow muntjac, and giant muntjac are vulnerable, near threatened, and critically endangered, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takin</span> Species of mammal

The takin, also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a large species of ungulate of the subfamily Caprinae found in the eastern Himalayas. It includes four subspecies: the Mishmi takin, the golden takin, the Tibetan takin, and the Bhutan takin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern red muntjac</span> Species of deer

The southern red muntjac is a deer species native to Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as the Indian muntjac or the common muntjac before the species was taxonomically revised to represent only populations of Sunda and perhaps Malaysia. The other populations being attributed to this species are now attributed to Muntiacus vaginalis. Muntjacs are also referred to as barking deer. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reeves's muntjac</span> Species of deer

Reeves's muntjac, also known as the Chinese muntjac, is a species of muntjac found widely in south-eastern China and Taiwan. It has also been introduced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Japan. It takes its name from John Reeves, a naturalist employed by the British East India Company in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gongshan muntjac</span> Species of deer

The Gongshan muntjac is a species of muntjac living in the Gongshan mountains in northwestern Yunnan, southeast Tibet, Northeast India and northern Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walong</span> Town in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Walong is an administrative town and the headquarters of eponymous circle in the Anjaw district in eastern-most part of Arunachal Pradesh state in India. It also has a small cantonment of the Indian Army. Walong is on banks of Lohit River, which enters India 35 km north of Walong at India-China LAC at Kaho pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barasingha</span> Species of deer

The barasingha, sometimes barasinghe, also known as the swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It has been extirpated in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and its presence is uncertain in Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crab-eating mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from Asia

The crab-eating mongoose is a species of mongoose found from the north-eastern Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia to southern China and Taiwan. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namdapha National Park</span> National park in Arunachal Pradesh, India

Namdapha National Park is a 1,985 km2 (766 sq mi) large protected area in Arunachal Pradesh of Northeast India. The park was established in 1983. With more than 1,000 floral and about 1,400 faunal species, it is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas. The national park harbours the northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests in the world at 27°N latitude. It also harbours extensive dipterocarp forests, comprising the northwestern parts of the Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anjaw district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

Anjaw District (Pron:/ˈændʒɔ:/) is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India. It was created district in 2004, by splitting off from the Lohit district under the Arunachal Pradesh Re-organization of Districts Amendment Act. The district borders China on the north. Hawai, at an altitude of 1296 m above sea level, is the district headquarters, located on the banks of the Lohit River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. It is the easternmost district in India. The furthest villages towards the border with China are Dong, Walong, Kibithu and Kaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Dibang Valley district</span> District of Arunachal Pradesh in India

The Lower Dibang Valley district (Pron:/dɪˈbæŋ/) is an administrative district in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India. It is the tenth least populous district in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Burma</span> Biodiversity hotspot

Indo-Burma is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Rabinowitz</span> American zoologist

Alan Robert Rabinowitz was an American zoologist who served as the president, CEO, and chief scientist at Panthera Corporation, a nonprofit conservation organization devoted to protecting the world's 40 wild cat species. Called the "Indiana Jones of Wildlife Protection" by Time, he studied jaguars, clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons, cervidae, and civets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Triangle temperate forests</span>

The Northern Triangle temperate forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion of thick forest covering the mountains of northern Myanmar.

Dihang-Dibang or Dehang-Debang is a biosphere reserve constituted in 1998. It is in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The Mouling National Park and the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary are located fully or partly within this biosphere reserve. The reserve spreads over three districts: Dibang Valley, Upper Siang, and West Siang. It covers high mountains of Eastern Himalaya and Mishmi Hills. The elevation in the reserve ranges up to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. An important fact relating to this Biosphere reserve is that it has natural vegetation stretching in an unbroken sequence from the tropics to mountain tundra. The type of vegetation are found in this biosphere reserve can be grouped as 1. Sub-tropical broad leafed forests, 2. Sub tropical pine forest, 3. Temperate broad leafed forests, 4. Temperate conifer, 5. Sub-alpine woody shrub, 6. Alpine meadow( mountain Tundra), 7. Bamboo brakes, 8. Grassland. The habitat in Dihang-Dibang ranges from tropical wet evergreen in the river gorges to subtropical, temperate, alpine and permanent snow.

Hkakaborazi National Park is a national park in northern Myanmar with an area of 1,472 sq mi (3,810 km2). It was established in 1998. It surrounds Hkakabo Razi, the highest mountain in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in India

The Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the eight wildlife sanctuaries of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Arunachal Pradesh</span>

Arunachal Pradesh is primarily a hilly tract nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in northeast India. It is spread over an area of 83,743 km2 (32,333 sq mi). 98% of the geographical area is land out of which 80% is forest cover; 2% is water. River systems in the region, including those from the higher Himalayas and Patkoi and Arakan Ranges, eventually drain into the Brahmaputra River.

References

  1. 1 2 Timmins, R.J.; Duckworth, J.W. (2016). "Muntiacus putaoensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136479A22159478. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T136479A22159478.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Amato, G.; Egan, M.G.; Rabinowitz, A. (1999). "A new species of muntjac, Muntiacus putaoensis (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) from northern Myanmar". Animal Conservation. 2 (1): 1–7. Bibcode:1999AnCon...2....1A. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1999.tb00042.x. ISSN   1367-9430.
  3. 1 2 Rabinowitz, A.; Myint, Than; Khaing, Saw Tun; Rabinowitz, S. (1999). "Description of the leaf deer (Muntiacus putaoensis), a new species of muntjac from northern Myanmar". Journal of Zoology. 249 (4): 427–435. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01212.x. ISSN   0952-8369.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species . New York: Harper Perennial. p.  260. ISBN   0-06-055804-0.
  5. Choudhury, A.U. (2003) The mammals of Arunachal Pradesh. Regency Publications, New Delhi. 140pp
  6. 1 2 3 Datta, A.; Pansa, J.; Madhusudan, M. D.; Mishra, C. (2003). "Discovery of the leaf deer Muntiacus putaoensis in Arunachal Pradesh: An addition to the large mammals of India" (PDF). Current Science. 84 (3): 454–458. ISSN   0011-3891. JSTOR   24107434.
  7. Chouchury, A.U. (2007). "Discovery of Leaf Deer Muntiacus Putaoensis Rabinowitz et al. in Nagaland with a new northerly record from Arunachal Pradesh". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 104 (2): 205–208 via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  8. Choudhury, A.U.(2008). Survey of mammals and birds in Dihang–Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Final Report to Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India. The Rhino Foundation for Nature in North East India, Guwahati, India. 70 pp.
  9. Choudhury, A.U. (2009). "Records and distribution of Gongshan and leaf muntjacs in India" (PDF). Deer Specialist Group News. 23: 2–7.
  10. James, Jiffy; Ramakrishnan, Uma; Datta, Aparajita (2007). "Molecular evidence for the occurrence of the leaf deer Muntiacus putaoensis in Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India". Conservation Genetics. 9 (4): 927–931. doi:10.1007/s10592-007-9410-3. ISSN   1566-0621.
  11. Li, Guo-Gang; Zhang, Ming-Xia; Swa, Kyaw; Maung, Kyaw-Win; Quan, Rui-Chang (2017). "Complete mitochondrial genome of the leaf muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis) and phylogenetics of the genus Muntiacus". Zoological Research. 38 (5): 310–316. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2017.058 . ISSN   2095-8137. PMC   5717431 . PMID   29181905.