Twycross Zoo Michie's Tufted Deer

Michie’s Tufted Deer

Michie’s tufted deer are a subspecies of tufted deer native to a small area of south-eastern China. They are a small deer species and the males have prominent, tusk-like, canines in the upper jaw. Their coat is brown on the back and pale on their underside with a bright white flash of fur under their tail. All tufted deer have a tuft of fur on the top of the head that can hide the presence of the males’ simple antlers.

Twycross Zoo Michie's Tufted Deer

Michie’s tufted deer are most active at dawn and dusk and they are a solitary species. Males will aggressively defend their territories using their tusks as a weapon.

The mating season for tufted deer is late autumn and winter. During this time the male will bark loudly to attract the attention of nearby females. Fawns are born in the summer and can stand quickly after birth. They will stay with their mother for at least six months becoming sexually mature at 18-24 months old.

Twycross Zoo Michie's Tufted Deer

Michie’s tufted deer eat most types of vegetation, including grasses, leaves, twigs and fruit. They do not have incisors (front teeth) in their upper jaw, so they clip leaves and grasses by pressing their lower incisors to a tough pad which replaces those top teeth.

The IUCN classify tufted deer as Near Threatened. The main threat facing this species is hunting.

Key Facts:

 

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Distribution: China

Habitat: Tropical Forest

Diet: Fruit, Grasses, Leaves

Height: 50 – 70cm

Weight: 17 – 50kg

Gestation: 210 days

No. of young: 1 – 2

Life Span: 15 years

Twycross Zoo Sumatran Tiger Stretching

SUPPORT OUR ANIMALS

If you're looking for an alternative way to donate to Twycross Zoo, you can help support our animals and our zoo keepers by purchasing something from our Amazon Wishlist!

Updated regularly by our zoo keepers, the items on the list help to provide enrichment for our animals and keep their habitats well maintained.

Every donation helps us as a conservation charity.

Learn more