The cervidae family.

Part five the muntjac deer.

Muntjac were introduced to the duke of bedford`s woburn estate in about 1900. Since then their descendants have escaped and spread throughout Britain. The muntjac is the smallest British deer which has a glossy red, brown summer coat, which is duller in the winter. The buck has a V shaped ridge on the forehead which extends down from his antlers and marked by dark stripes.The muntjac is distinguished by its rather rounded back. It has some white around the edge of its tail and a white rump under its tail. The males are called bucks and the females are called does. The muntjac has no rut, meaning they have no fixed breeding season and may give birth every seven months. They are spreading throughout Britain, mainly because the does can conceive a few days after fawning. The fawns are born singly at anytime of the year. They are born with spots on them to conceal them in the undergrowth which  fade after about eight weeks. They feed on grass,brambles,ivy and yew and are more active from dusk, although they can equally be seen during the day. Their call is a short dog like barking noise. The buck stands about forty eight centimetres high, the female is slightly smaller. They like dense cover in woodlands so they can have good cover. Their antlers are cast in may, then grow back again during the summer. The buck has permanent fang like teeth which he will use against other bucks, he will also mark his territory with the forehead glands, leaving their scent by rubbing against trees or the ground. When alarmed the muntjac will lift its tail to show his white underside, to worn off other deers.