Large-antlered muntjac
The Giant muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis) is a species of muntjac deer. It is the largest muntjac species and is most closely related to the Indian muntjac.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Giant muntjac has a red-brown coat and is an even-toed ungulate. Males have short antlers, which can regrow, but they tend to fight for territory with their "tusks" (downward-pointing canine teeth). Muntjacs also possess various scent glands that have crucial functions in communication and territorial marking. They use their facial glands primarily to mark the ground and occasionally other individuals.
Giant muntjacs were discovered in 1994 in Vũ Quang, Hà Tĩnh Province of Vietnam, and in central Laos. During the inundation of the Nakai Reservoir in Khammouane Province of Laos for the Nam Theun 2 Multi-Purpose Project, 38 Giant muntjacs were captured, studied, and released into the adjacent Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area. Subsequent radio-tracking of a sample of these animals showed the relocation was successful. Giant muntjacs are also located in parts of eastern Cambodia, as well as the Annamite Mountains (Trường Sơn Mountains). They are usually found in evergreen forests in hills, plateaus, and valleys.
Little is known about the behavior of Giant muntjacs. They are shy solitary animals and can be active both during the day and night.
Giant muntjacs are herbivores (folivores, graminivores). They eat various vegetation including leaves, shoots, and grasses.
Little information is known about the reproductive habits of this species. Females are known to give birth to a single young and it is thought that muntjacs can breed at any time of the year.
Giant muntjacs are threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture, combined with overhunting. They are also preyed upon by tigers and leopards.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Giant muntjac total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
