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Pere David's deer - ELAPHURUS DAVIDIANUS
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Deer": "Deer" comes from the German word "Tier," which simply means "animal." "Pere" is probably the French clerical word for "father."
Location: Originally native to central and northern China; now only about 200 individuals in zoos and game parks.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Probably marshy lowlands.
Description: The coat is a reddish-tawny color. The long tail ends with a tuft. The antlers, which are found only in the male, are branched, with the longest branches near the base and the other branches decreasing in length toward the tips. The antlers are shed yearly. The eyes are large, and the ears are short and pointed. The legs are long, and the hooves are relatively long and spread apart, providing support on soft soil. These deer reach about five feet in length, but the tail adds an additional 20 inches to that. It stands over four feet tall at the shoulder, and can weigh about 450 pounds.
Behavior: This species was discovered in 1865 by Pere (fr: Father) David, a French Jesuit missionary and naturalist. He managed to catch a glimpse of this deer over the wall, which surrounded the Imperial Park near Peking, and where the several hundred deer were kept. Nothing is known about their life in the wild.
Reproduction: Fortunately, this deer has been successfully bred and reared in captivity. In an English sanctuary, rutting takes place in June through August, and after about a 250-day gestation one or two young are born.
Go to the Artiodactyla Page to learn more about all the even-toed hoofed animals.
Or go to the Deer Index to study other
deer.
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