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Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are diminutive, even-toed ungulates that make up the family Tragulidae, and are the only living members of the infraorder Tragulina. The 10 extant species are placed in three genera, [ 1 ] [ 2 ] but several species also are known only from fossils . [ 3 ]
Tragulus is a genus of even-toed ungulates in the family Tragulidae that are known as mouse-deer. [1] In Ancient Greek τράγος ( tragos ) means a male goat , [ 2 ] while the Latin diminutive –ulus means 'tiny'.
The greater mouse-deer is an even-toed ungulate. Although very small for an ungulate, the greater mouse-deer is one of the largest members of its genus. It is rivalled in size by Williamson's mouse-deer. It weighs 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 lb). Its head-and-body length is 70 to 75 cm (2.30 to 2.46 ft) and its tail length is 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in).
The meat is considered a delicacy on the islands, and the skin is also used to make leather. Although no true estimates of the Philippine mouse-deer population have been made to date, they are assumed to be declining in numbers. Hunters have commented that the mouse-deer is becoming harder to find. The biggest reason for decline is habitat loss ...
It has an average tail length of about 5 cm (2.0 in). Mouse-deer are thought to be the most primitive ruminants based on their behaviour and the fossil record, thus they are the living link between ruminants and non-ruminants. [12] [11] The Java mouse-deer is endothermic and homoeothermic, and has an average basal metabolic rate of about 4.883 ...
In Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, the mouse-deer Sang Kancil is a cunning trickster similar to Br'er Rabbit from the Uncle Remus tales, even sharing some story plots. For instance, they both trick enemies pretending to be dead or inanimate, [ 2 ] [ 3 ] and both lose a race to slower opponents.
It has a body length of 57.5 cm (22.6 in) with a 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long tail length and weighs around 3 kg (6.6 lb). This was earlier included under the name of Tragulus meminna , but studies on the systematics of the group have led to that name being restricted to the Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain .
Size varies considerably; the smallest member, the mouse deer, often reaches a body length of only 45 centimeters (18 in) and a weight of 1.5 kilograms (3.3 lb). The largest member, the hippopotamus, can grow up to 5 meters (16 ft) in length and weigh 4.5 metric tons (5 short tons), and the giraffe can grow to be 5.5 meters (18 ft) tall and 4.7 ...