Indian spotted chevrotains (Moschiola indica) are even-toed ungulates found in South Asia. Chevrotains or mouse-deer are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. Despite their common name of "mouse deer", they are not closely related to true deer.
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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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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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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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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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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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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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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 fur color of the Indian spotted chevrotain is dark brown with white underparts. There are four or five light rows of white spots on the back. Males of this species have tusk-like upper canines.
These chevrotains are found in India and possibly Nepal. They live in dense forests in hills, mountains, and plains usually along rivers and streams. These animals can also be found in cultivated areas such as gardens and plantations.
Indian spotted chevrotains are generally solitary and typically communicate with each other only during the breeding season. They are active at night hours and during the day usually hide in hollow trunks, thickets, or rocky crevices. They may sometimes rest on the forest floor as their coloration helps them stay unnoticed among leaf litter. Indian spotted chevrotains are shy and cautious animals; they try to avoid open areas and will freeze and then flee with any sign of danger.
Indian spotted chevrotains are herbivores (folivores, frugivores). They feed on herbs, shrubs, fallen fruits, leaves, buds, and shoots.
Indian spotted chevrotains can breed throughout the year, however, most births usually occur between September and February. After the 154-155 days females are known to give birth to one or sometimes two fawns in dens or other hiding spots. The newly born young weigh an average of 470 g (16.5 oz) and can stand on their feet within 30 minutes after birth. Young females usually become reproductively mature and start to breed when they are 5-5.5 months old.
Indian spotted chevrotains are threatened by continuous hunting by local communities and also suffer from the loss and degradation of their native habitat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Indian spotted chevrotain total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
Indian spotted chevrotains play a very important role in their native ecosystem because they disperse the seeds from various fruits they eat; this way these small animals help to rejuvenate the forests.
