Muntjac Deer

Recognition: Small, stocky, they are a russet brown in summer, grey brown in winter. There distinctive with there long pedicles, short antlers and visible upper canines in the bucks.

Their large facial glands below the eyes are very distinctive. Ginger forehead with pronounced black lines running to the pedicles in bucks, dark U shape in does. Haunches higher than withers, giving a hunched appearance. Fairly wide tail, which is held erect when disturbed.

Adult size: Bucks (males): 10 to 18kg, 44 to 52cm at shoulder. Does (females): 9 to 16kg, 43 to 52cm at shoulder.

Antlers: Short (up to 10cm) but on long pedicles. Usually unbranched but brow tine occasionally found in old bucks.

Status: Introduced. Widespread and increasing in number and range due to the rapid reproductive cycle.

Locations: South and central England and Wales. North of the Humber distribution is patchy but reaches close to the Scottish border.

Habitat: Deciduous or coniferous forests, preferably with a diverse understorey. Also found in scrub and over-grown gardens in urban areas.

Food & feeding: Selective feeders that take small morsels from nutritious plants. Diet varies according to region and availability but may include herbs, brambles, ivy, heather, bilberry and coppice shoots.

Origins & history: Generally solitary or found in pairs (doe with kid or buck with doe) although pair-bonding does not occur. Bucks defend small exclusive territories against other bucks whereas does' territories overlap with each other and with several bucks.

Vocalisation: A common name for muntjac is "barking deer" resulting from the repeated, loud bark given under a number of circumstances. An alarmed muntjac may scream whereas maternal does and kids squeak.

The rut: In contrast to all other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not have a defined breeding season (rut). Instead, they breed all year round and the does can conceive again within days of giving birth. Bucks may fight for access to does but remain unusually tolerant of subordinate males within their vicinity.

Breeding: Unlike other species of deer in Britain, muntjac do not cause significant damage to agricultural or timber crops. However, high muntjac densities may result in the prevention of coppice regeneration and the loss of some plants of conservation importance, such as primulas. Muntjac trophy hunting is only recently becoming popular and so muntjac stalking has little tradition on country and forest estates. The most significant direct economic impact that muntjac have on human interests is in collisions with cars. However, this has welfare as well as economic implications.