| Tragulus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Tragulidae |
| Genus: | Tragulus Brisson, 1762[1] |
| Type species | |
| Cervus javanicus[1] Osbeck, 1765 | |
Tragulus is a genus ofeven-toed ungulates in the familyTragulidae that are known asmouse-deer.[1] InAncient Greek τράγος (tragos) means a malegoat,[2] while theLatin diminutive–ulus means 'tiny'. With a weight of 0.7–8.0 kg (1.5–17.6 lb) and a length of 40–75 cm (16–30 in), they are the smallestungulates in the world, though the largest species of mouse-deer surpass some species ofNeotragus antelopes in size.[3] The mouse-deer are restricted toSoutheast Asia from farSouthern China (southYunnan) to thePhilippines (Balabac) andJava.[3]
Following recenttaxonomic changes, several of the species in this genus are poorly known, but all are believed to be mainlynocturnal and feed on leaves, fruits, grasses, and other vegetation in the dense forest undergrowth.[3] They are solitary or live in pairs, and the males have elongatedcanine teeth (neither gender has horns or antlers) that are used in fights.[3] Unlike other members of their family, theTragulus mouse-deer lack obvious pale stripes/spots on their upper parts.[3]
Traditionally, only two species of mouse-deer in the genusTragulus have been recognized: The relatively largeT. napu and the smallT. javanicus. Following a review in 2004,T. nigricans andT. versicolor weresplit fromT. napu, andT. kanchil andT. williamsoni were split fromT. javanicus.[4] With these changes,T. kanchil andT. napu are the most widespread species, while the remaining have far smaller distributions (though some uncertainty over the exact distribution limits of the various species inIndochina remain).[4]
