Herberstein Wildlife Park / Chinese Muntjac

Chinese Muntjac

Muntiacus reevesi

The Chinese muntjac is a strange deer in every respect. Standing just over 40 cm tall and equipped with tiny antlers, the comparison to the stately red deer found in our forests is enough to make one smile. However, one should not be deceived by its appearance. Male muntjacs have upper canine teeth up to 2.5 cm long, which they use successfully to catch prey.

Did you know?

Although he is a ruminant, like all deer, he also likes to supplement his diet with the meat of smaller vertebrates.

Order	Pair-hoofed animals
Family	Deer
Distribution	China, Taiwan
Habitat	Deciduous forests, rainforests
Food	Bamboo, seeds, bark, fruits, leaves, eggs, small rodents, ground-nesting birds, carrion
Activity	Muntjacs are cathemeral (with activity varying throughout the 24-hour period) and crepuscular
Weight	11–18 kg
Size	Shoulder height: 43–45 cm
Service life	11 years (17 years in zoos)
Reproduction	For Chinese muntjacs, the mating season runs from January through March. After a gestation period of about 7 months, 1–2 young are born, which must leave their mother’s territory at about 6 months of age.
Risk	Muntjacs are not endangered
Enemies	Tiger, leopard, jackal, crocodile, red dog, python, human

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