see also 9.2.1. Genus Musk deer - Moschus
Siberian musk deer - Moschus moschiferus
(It is usually brown or brown in color with two white stripes along the front of the neck; sometimes (more often in young ones) light gray spots are scattered along the back and sides. A pair of thin fangs up to 6 cm long protrude from under the upper lip of the male. the croup is noticeably higher than the withers.The alarmed musk deer holds its ears upright, and not spread apart, like a roe deer.Musk deer footprint with two or four clear prints of narrow hooves, 4-5 cm long, on the run, footprints hind legs often ahead of the front tracks, like a hare. Heaps of litter resemble sunflower seeds. The eyes glow yellowish-green at night. Distributed in Siberia east of the Yenisei, in Altai, in the Sayans, the Amur region, Primorye and Sakhalin. Inhabits dense taiga forests, more often mountain forests. It feeds mainly on tree lichens, in summer it also eats herbaceous plants, in winter - fir and cedar needles. Usually lives alone in a deaf dark coniferous taiga with windbreak, deadwood, rock outcrops, often near a stream or a small forest lake. On its site, it lays a dense network of trails, mostly passing at the foot of rocks and along fallen trunks. In winter, kabarozh trails sometimes turn into deep trenches. Along the trails, the musk deer quickly escapes pursuit. When fleeing, she can turn at full speed at a right angle, stop instantly and pick up speed again with one long jump. If a predator or a specially trained dog still manages to unravel the tracks, the musk deer settles down in the rocks. It is very difficult to see the musk deer. Sometimes you can hear her alarm signal - a characteristic "chiffoy", similar to sneezing.
The rut is at the beginning of winter, at this time musk deer are found in groups of 3-4. Males fight very rarely. Pregnancy lasts more than six months. The female brings 1-2, occasionally 3 spotted cubs, which at first hide in a secluded place, usually in a windbreak. Only by the end of summer do they begin to accompany their mother, who, in case of danger, tries to distract the predator towards herself. The squash become adults on next year.
Males have a gland on their belly that secretes musk. (musk jet). It is used in perfumery and oriental medicine, as well as in the manufacture of odorous baits for predators. AT early XIX century in most regions of Russia, the musk deer was almost exterminated, then the number increased due to the measures taken to protect it, but in the post-Soviet era it fell again due to poaching. Basically, musk deer are beaten for the sake of musk, which is in great demand in a number of Eastern countries especially in Japan.
The Sakhalin subspecies is listed in the Red Book of Russia (less than 450 heads have survived). A technology has been developed for breeding musk deer in captivity, but in Russia it has not yet been possible to create enterprises of this kind.
Table 29
Musk deer is an animal that has given rise to many myths and superstitions. Its extraordinary appearance has long attracted the attention of naturalists, who were ready to easily travel hundreds of kilometers through the mountains, just to see this creature live. Even today, interest in him still has not faded.
What kind of miraculous animal is the musk deer, the description of which has so many curious facts? Why is it so remarkable? And why is it under the protection of the World Organization for the Protection of Animal Rights?
What a wondrous animal?
The animal musk deer is one of the true, it is very different from its closest relatives both in size and appearance. Another name for it is musk deer. The animal musk deer gained its fame due to two reasons: unusual fangs and musk.
This deer has two front fangs that grow from the upper jaw. Because of them, the musk deer gained fame as a vampire hunting other animals. Moreover, earlier people believed that this beast is an evil spirit, and shamans often hunted him in order to get teeth as a magical trophy.
The time of superstition has sunk into oblivion, but the persecution of these animals has not stopped. After all, the animal musk deer is known for another feature, namely musk. It was this substance that became the target of many poachers who were ready to destroy the whole species, just to get such a coveted reward.
Appearance
What does a musk deer look like? In the photo, the animal resembles a cross between a roe deer and a deer, though without horns. It just so happens that this species is completely devoid of bone growth on the head, as well as tear pits under the eyes.
The length of the musk deer rarely grows more than one meter. As for its height, this moment the largest individual seen was no more than 80 cm. At the same time, its weight ranges from 12 to 18 kilograms. The color of the coat can vary from dark brown to light brown.
The musk deer is an animal known for its long fangs. True, only males have them and can reach up to 7 cm in length. For musk deer, they serve as a tool of protection, and only during the mating season can gentlemen use them as a way to prove their superiority over others.
Animal musk deer: habitat
This animal prefers mountainous terrain, and therefore the main habitat of its habitat is indicated by the mountains of China and Tibet. But you can also meet him in Russia. So, musk deer is found on a very vast territory: starting from the lower Altai and ending with the Amur itself.
The favorite place of the musk deer is the forest. Therefore, this is where the animal spends most of its time. However, this does not mean that the deer does not wander high into the mountains. So, there is evidence that some individuals live in the Himalayas, at an altitude of more than 3000 m above sea level.
Musk deer habits
This type of deer is accustomed to a solitary lifestyle. This rule is violated only during the mating season, and then not for long. By the way, during mating games male musk deer become very aggressive towards each other. Quite often, their skirmishes lead to bloody fights on fangs, which is sometimes fatal.
In the rest of the year, they lead a quiet and measured lifestyle. They feed mainly on moss and fresh leaves. Therefore, the rumor that the musk deer drinks blood is just an empty superstition that has nothing to do with the truth.
In addition, the musk deer is very shy, any danger makes him run without looking back. At the same time, it is almost impossible to catch up with him. Due to the special structure of the body, he can change the trajectory of the run without even slowing down.
The Musk Hunt
AT old days nothing threatened the musk deer population. Her meat was not suitable for consumption, as it had an unpleasant aftertaste. As for the skin, although it retained heat, it was still much worse than that of other animals. So the only enemies of the deer were the shamans and mystics who harvested their fangs. But everything changed at the moment when Chinese alchemists began to use musk in their medicines.
For those who do not know, musk is a viscous substance that has a tart smell. Each male musk deer has a special gland that secretes this secret. It was she who became the object of hunting for many healers and healers. According to the Chinese folk medicine, then there are more than 200 potions and ointments infused with musk.
A little later, this substance began to be used in perfumery. Due to the astringency of the aroma, it quickly gained popularity among fashionistas and fashionistas of the time. Consequently, the pursuit of musk only intensified.
Ultimately, musk deer were hunted by everyone who wanted to make quick money. This led to the fact that the number of these animals decreased to such a limit that they were on the verge of complete extinction.
Fight for the rights of musk deer
Fortunately, the world is not without good people. A similar decline in the number of musk deer caused outrage from animal rights activists. And so they began to take active steps to protect them.
Thanks to their intervention, the musk deer was listed in the Red Book, and the poachers who hunt it were held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Similar measures saved the animal from extinction, although the full restoration of the number of musk deer will not happen soon.
Beast in captivity
However, with the advent of a ban on hunting, the need for musk did not disappear. And so the farmers tried to breed a species that can live in captivity. The first attempts were unsuccessful, as the musk deer died very quickly. But over time, it still turned out to breed a breed that lives according to the rules of man.
True, as the farmers themselves assure, caring for her is still that job. In particular, a lot of trouble arises during the period when the males are ready to mate. Nevertheless, this approach greatly helped wild musk deer by reducing the demand for their glands.
- Previously, the appearance of musk deer in the vicinity of the village foreshadowed grief. Therefore, after such a visit, the shamans performed rituals to drive away evil spirits.
- Running away from the enemy, the musk deer behaves like a real hare. It winds from side to side, and in the event of a predator approaching, it can jump high and change its trajectory by 90 degrees with lightning speed.
- In 1845, the musk deer population was over 250,000 individuals. A hundred years later, this number dropped to 10,000, which was the signal to save the musk deer.
The artiodactyl order unites a large and diverse group of mammals distributed throughout the globe, excluding Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and some isolated islands. The order is divided into 2 suborders: non-ruminants (3 families) and ruminants (5 families). Non-ruminants include pigs, peccaries, hippos - 11 species in total; to ruminants - deer, deer, giraffes, pronghorns, bovids (duikers, antelopes, musk oxen, goats, rams, buffaloes, bison, etc.) - a total of 148 species.
The artiodactylism of animals of this order lies in the fact that in most species there are four fingers on the front and hind limbs, the axis of the limbs passes between the third and fourth fingers, dividing the “foot” into two equal parts. The exception is the limbs of hippopotamuses, on which all four fingers are connected by a membrane and serve as an animal support.
Musk deer (Moschus moschiferus) is a small ruminant animal, a representative of a separate family of musk deer (Moschidae) in the order of artiodactyl mammals. Of course, a "small" musk deer is considered only in comparison with other members of its order - the body length of this animal usually ranges from 85 to 100 cm, the height at the withers is 60-65 cm, and the average weight is 12 kg. Musk deer have no horns, but adult males have long (up to 6 cm) fangs-saber, which act as a tournament weapon. In addition, males have a special gland on their belly that secretes a strong-smelling secret - musk.
Fig.1. Sakhalin musk deer
Musk deer belongs to the deer family - animals common in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and many oceanic islands. There are 32 species of them: red deer, spotted deer, reindeer, roe deer, elk and musk deer.
Distribution area
East Asia - from the northern border of the forest to South China, Burma. The musk deer also lives in the Himalayas, where the "crown" of the planet is the famous Chomolungma (Everest) - 8848 meters above sea level! But the musk deer cannot storm such skies. However, in the mountains it is found at an altitude of more than 3000 meters. A little climber climbs a little high, his weight is only 12 kilograms, and the sprout is “from a fingernail”. This is compared to other deer. At the withers, the musk deer is up to 67 centimeters, and at the sacrum up to 80 centimeters. A moose, for example, at the withers up to 230 centimeters! And in the cross! Here we take a look at external structure musk deer, not moose. The elk with the sacrum is all right. But the musk deer is the only species in the deer family that has a pronounced “difference” between the length of the hind and forelimbs. There is a musk deer, and it seems as if she is bowing, squatting at the same time. Among Siberian hunters it is known as a "flea".
Lifestyle
From a place, having tensed the muscles, the musk deer freely jumps 1.5-2 meters. When it is tracked or pursued by predators, the max of the musk deer reaches a length of 4-4.5 meters. If they press on the tail (although it is so small in the musk deer that it does not show even from the wool), then the “flea” rushes to the rocky areas. In a matter of seconds, he chooses a ledge, cornice or top, and, as they say, "freezes on the sludge." From such a pedestal, he follows the pursuer, if necessary, seizing the moment, he can change his position with lightning speed and be at a greater height, up to 3 meters from the ground level. Having promptly jumped up on a hill, the musk deer firmly rests with the hooves of all its four limbs on one “point” with a diameter of 12-15 centimeters and can hold out on such a “patch” for tens of minutes, almost without moving. The musk deer lives in dark coniferous taiga forests with rock outcrops, windbreak blockages, an abundance of deadwood, twisted roots and coastal cliffs. Usually the habitat is chosen near the reservoir. in Altai, in Eastern Siberia, on the Far East, where in some places we have a high number of musk deer, 5-10 individuals per 1000 hectares, you can walk on these hectares for years, but you won’t meet musk deer. Cautious animal, leads a secretive lifestyle. Experienced taiga dwellers know about its existence on the ground, but a stranger will not notice a musk deer. She will discover it in a moment. Somewhere from behind a mossy stump or rotten deadwood, her head will appear with rounded locator ears.
Keen eyes will quickly find the alien. Then a sharp jump to the right, to the left, something will flash before your eyes without noise and disappear. It was like a vision. But it was not a ghost, but creature, but what, only an experienced hunter or hunter can figure it out. But even their musk deer can deceive. There is a man on the trail and suddenly a dead end. Where is the musk deer? And before that, she made a 180 ° turn and went back, stepping footsteps. I walked along my own path 50-75 meters, again a sharp jump to the side and landed somewhere behind a large stone, a sprawling Christmas tree or a pile of brushwood and deadwood. A second of thought, and again "knight's move", "rook move" and you - "checkmate" in three moves. The queen is gone. It is also capable of instantly slowing down at a fast gait, sharply changing the direction of running and immediately “turning on” the maximum speed - up to 80 kilometers per hour, however, the beast can run so fast only for a short distance.
habitats
The habitat of musk deer is usually limited to a few tens of hectares in winter, up to 100-200 hectares in summer. In the warm season, the musk deer grazes, eating mainly lichens, commonly called bearded ones. These are those that add mystery to dark coniferous forests, decorating the trunks and branches of spruces, firs, cedars and other trees. Eats musk deer and herbaceous plants, needles. In winter, it is difficult to get food, you have to rake the snow with your front feet and extract dry leaves, mushrooms, and ground lichens from under it. Deftly balancing on low inclined tree trunks, the musk deer collects something edible from the bark. Empty - and she easily jumps to the ground from a height of 1.5-2 meters. When in winter, approaching a tree, “he sees the eye, but the tooth is numb”, the musk deer makes a “candle”, stands on its hind legs, and holds its front legs in weight or rests them against the trunk. The neck is stretched to the limit, and the lips are drawn to the dainty "beard" or to the tips of edible twigs.
The head of the musk deer is small, the eyes have a kind look, the ears are long, wide with rounded tips, there are no horns. Males have developed fangs. They protrude from under the upper lip and are directed downward, their length is up to 10 centimeters. At the ends of these teeth are sharp - daggers. Females do not have such a weapon, and males use it only in mating fights, and the beast cannot defend itself from enemies with the help of fangs.
The general color of the “clothing” of the musk deer is from rusty to brown-black tones. On the back and sides it is lighter, brown-buffy or reddish-yellow spots are clearly visible. The coat consists of long, tightly fitting hairs. On winter hauls, the snow under the musk deer does not melt during its rest. The musk deer will lie down on the natural "perinka", jump up, shake off and go, wander through the forest. You have to roam carefully, there are a lot of enemies: kharzes, wolverines, lynxes, wolves, foxes, brown bears and Amur tigers, less often large feathered predators. Feral stray dogs are dangerous - the product of thoughtless people, their former owners. The most dangerous enemy of the musk deer in our time is the poacher.
Musk deer is a hunting animal. Its production is regulated by the issuance of licenses to hunters. The beast is hunted for meat, the skin is for making leather (durable suede) from it. The skin is not used for fur products - it is quickly wiped off. Musk deer are mainly harvested for the secret of its musk gland (available only in males). This secret is a strong fixative of aromas in the products of the perfume industry. In the past, musk deer musk was used as an integral part of medicines for a number of diseases, as a tonic. The demand for it, especially in the countries of the East, was great. In the 19th century, several tens of thousands of musk "bags" (glands) of musk deer were exported from Russia to China almost every year. For example, in 1855 there were more than 80,000. At the beginning of this century, exports continued, but in 1928 only 5,000 "bags" "crossed" the border, the stocks of the beast had been greatly undermined by that time.
Female musk deer reach sexual maturity in the 2nd year of life, males a year later. The gestation period is 6-6.5 months. Babies are 1-3. They are born in May-June. They are fed and fed with milk until late autumn. At birth, the mass of kabaroks is 300-400 grams! How can such a little one exist? The female is a caring, impeccable mother. He carefully hides and disguises his cubs for 2.5-3 months, until they grow up and can accompany their parent. The "fathers" of kabaroks are "windy" and do not take part in the cultivation and protection of offspring.
Musk deer is a solitary animal. Herds, does not form herds. Only in the mating season (November-December) do love rendezvous occur due to natural need.
The Sakhalin musk deer is a subspecies of the musk deer. The Sakhalin musk deer is the smallest. Its extraction is strictly prohibited. The total number on the island does not exceed 600-700 animals.
species protection
The number has decreased under the influence of economic activities of people - deforestation, mainly conifers, without taking into account the existence of wild animals in them, laying roads, etc. The rainy deep snowy winters of many recent years. Musk deer is included in the lists of the International Red Book with the status of vulnerable (vulnerable) species. The trade in musk deer is controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES): the Himalayan musk deer is included in List No. 1 of the Annex to the Convention due to its low abundance and trade in its musk is prohibited. Musk Chinese and Siberian subspecies musk deer, which are included in Appendix No. 2, is allowed for sale, but under strict international control in order to avoid the extermination of natural populations.
An effective way to preserve musk deer, in addition to protecting animals in natural habitats, is breeding it in captivity. Moreover, many attempts to save individual subspecies or populations in nature are unsuccessful. And in Russia, for example, effective protective measures cannot be implemented in the near future simply for financial reasons. In addition, captivity allows musk to be obtained without killing animals, which reduces the pressure exerted by miners on wild animal populations.
Appearance
Body length up to 1 m, tail - 4-6 cm, height at withers up to 70 cm; weight - 11-18 kg. The hind legs are disproportionately long, therefore, in a standing musk deer, the sacrum is 5-10 cm higher than the withers. The tail is short.
Horns are absent. Males have long curved fangs protruding from under the upper lip by 7-9 cm; serve as a tournament weapon. They also have an abdominal gland that produces musk.
The coat of the musk deer is thick and long, but brittle. Color brown or brown. In young animals, fuzzy light gray spots are scattered on the sides and along the back.
Spreading
Musk deer is distributed from Eastern Himalayas and Tibet before Eastern Siberia , Korea and Sakhalin, inhabiting the steep slopes of the mountains, overgrown coniferous forest. Keeps mainly at an altitude of 600-900 m, rarely up to 1600 m above sea level; only in Tibet and the Himalayas it rises to a height of 3000 m or more.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Favorite habitats of musk deer - dark coniferous areas taiga with placers and rock outcrops. In these areas, animals live sedentary, singly (rarely in groups), occupying individual plots on average from 300 hectares in summer to 10-20 hectares in winter.
The musk deer is an excellent jumper, almost unparalleled in maneuverability. It is capable of galloping, without slowing down, to change the direction of travel by 90 °. Fleeing from the pursuer, the musk deer, like a hare, confuses the tracks.
The diet of musk deer is dominated by epiphytic and terrestrial lichens. In winter, their share in her diet is 65-95%. This feeding habit determines the distribution of musk deer over isolated areas. As an additive to the diet, it also eats pine needles. firs and cedar, some umbrella, leaves blueberries, ferns, horsetail and other plant foods. Usually animals feed near windfall trees covered with lichens, eat them from fallen branches and collect lichen litter from the snow surface. The foraging musk deer can climb an inclined tree trunk or jump from branch to branch up to a height of 3-4 m.
The musk deer has a lot natural enemies. In the Far East, her main enemy is kharza, which hunts musk deer in families. Often lies in wait for musk deer for feeding lynx; persecuted wolverine and fox.
Social structure and reproduction
Musk deer keeps alone, less often - in groups of up to three heads. In family groups, contacts between animals are peaceful, but they are extremely aggressive towards strangers. During the rut, real fights take place between males of the same age - the animals seem to be chasing each other, trying to hit the croup, ridge or neck of the enemy with their front legs or fangs. During prolonged fights, one of the fighters often knocks the other to the ground, kicks him, and then plunges his fangs into him, which can lead to the death of the vanquished.
Musk deer mate in December-January. After 185-195 days, females give birth to 1-2 cubs.
Young musk deer reach sexual maturity at the age of 15-18 months. Their life expectancy in nature is only 4-5 years, but up to 10-14 years in captivity.
Musk deer
On the belly of the male musk deer is a musky gland, filled with a thick, pungent-smelling secret of a brown-brown color. One gland of an adult male contains 10-20 g of natural musk - the most expensive product of animal origin.
The chemical composition of musk is very complex: fatty acids, wax, aromatic and steroid compounds, esters cholesterol. The main carrier of the musky odor is the macrocyclic ketone muscone. Volatile components of musk carry information about the age and condition of the male and can accelerate estrus in females.
The first mention of musk in Europe refers to Mr. n. e. Arab doctors knew about him Ibn Sina and Serapino. AT XIV in. Marco Polo indicated the presence of especially valuable musk in the country of Eringul, apparently located on the territory of modern Mongolia or Western China. Musk in the East was added to medicines for melancholy, and was also worn in pouches on the chest to prevent the evil eye and spoilage. Musk was also widely used by Arab and Tibetan folk healers as a means to enhance sexual potency in men - and a similar effect does take place, in particular, due to the presence of derivatives of male sex hormones in the secretion.
Musk is widely used in oriental medicine at the present time. In China, it is part of more than 200 recipes. medicines. Experiments carried out in India, showed that musk has a general stimulating effect on the heart and central nervous system and is also effective as an anti-inflammatory agent.
In Europe, musk as a medical preparation is not particularly successful, but here it has found another use - in perfumery industry as an odor fixative.
In addition to the musk gland, male musk deer have glands on the inner surface of the tail that secrete a secret with a sharp "goat" smell. During defecation, feces, in contact with the gland, acquire this smell.
Population status and protection
The popularity and high cost of musk marked the beginning of the mass extermination of musk deer. The easiest way to obtain this product is to cut the gland from the body of a dead male. When dried, the kabaroge jet can be stored for many years. Due to uncontrolled hunting and poaching, the number of musk deer in Russia is rapidly falling. If in the city it was estimated at 160-170 thousand, then by the year it decreased to the level of 32-40.5 thousand individuals.
Musk deer included in the lists International Red Book with the status of "vulnerable species". Her musk trade is controlled Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora(CITES): The Himalayan musk deer is listed on Appendix I of the Convention due to its low abundance and trade in its musk is prohibited. Musk of the Chinese and Siberian musk deer subspecies, which are listed in Appendix II, is allowed for sale, but under strict international control.
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| View Siberian musk deer on the territory of Russia is on the verge of extinction and is listed in Red Book of Russia |
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See what the "Siberian musk deer" is in other dictionaries:
Siberian musk deer- Moschus moschiferus see also 9.2.1. Musk deer genus Moschus Siberian musk deer Moschus moschiferus (It is usually brown or brown in color with two white stripes along the front of the neck; sometimes (more often in young ones) scattered along the back and sides ... Animals of Russia. DirectoryŽinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
- (Cervidae) * * Deer (Cervidae) is one of the most prolific ungulate families today, the largest in the order after the bovids. It unites 4 6 subfamilies, 14 genera and about 40 modern species. The first primitive deer appeared in ... ... Animal life
Siberian musk deer Scientific classification ... Wikipedia
Moschus moschiferus Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
Moschushirsch- kabarga statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Moschus moschiferus angl. muscle deer; Siberian musk deer vok. Moschushirsch; Moschustier rus. musk deer; Siberian musk deer pranc. muscle; porte musc rysiai:… … Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas
