The rocky location provides crevices and crags for the musk deer to hide from many predators, such as Siberian tiger, Amur leopard, snow leopard, Eurasian lynx, wolf, Red fox, brown bear, Asian black bear, wolverine and yellow-throated marten. Most Siberian musk deer are generally nocturnal, inhabiting the mountainous taiga and found in shrub-covered slopes where foods are abundant. Another way the Siberian musk deer will mark its territory is by defecating in already marked territories or unclaimed territories. While placing the various branches around the circle, the deer will often do an olfactory examination and turn the back of its body towards the marked territories. When marking their territories, musk deer gather fallen branches, tree trunks, as well as plant stems, and place them in a circle. Musk will mark their territory, warning trespassing deer not to cross the boundary. Females can give birth to 1–3 offspring, usually between the months of May through June. Once the male and the female deer have procreated, the females will become pregnant for over 6 months. Tusks that are longer and stronger create a more intimidating stance and become more attractive to females as the offspring of that male are likely to become healthier. These tusks are used to compete with other males and attract females. It takes approximately a year for the Siberian musk deer to reach maturity, with an average deer living 10–14 years.ĭuring breeding season, male deer will grow tusks instead of antlers. The musk deer also inhabited Sakhalin Island before its separation from the continent during the Quaternary period. The musk deer evolving in the mountain forests of eastern Asia spread widely since the Pleistocene in the mountain regions of Central, South-East Asia and in the north it spread to the south of the Russian Far East. The earliest findings of the musk deer belong to the Upper and Middle Pleistocene and they all come from places in China and from the south of the Russian Far East. Siberia, North Mongolia, Russia, North China and Korea – M. However, efforts from each of the cited countries are beginning to restore the musk deer's population. It is expected that the population will be reduced to at least 30% over the next three generations. ĭue to the severe amount of poaching for its musk gland, the deer population is continuing to decrease. Although bearing fangs, Siberian musk deer are actually herbivores, with their main source of nutrients being lichens. Their small shape allows them to hide from predators through tiny openings in the rocky terrain and also allows them to run exceptionally fast from their predators. It is most common in the taiga of southern Siberia, but is also found in parts of Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria and the Korean peninsula. The Siberian musk deer ( Moschus moschiferus) is a musk deer found in the mountain forests of Northeast Asia.
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