Greater Malayan Chevrotain (Tragulus napu) AKA Mouse deer

Judith Wolfe    Greater Malayan Chevrotain

Zoo collection includes: Two Mouse Deer

Found in the wild: Southeast Asia from southern Thailand and Indochina through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, small islands of the East Indies, and the southwestern Philippines.

See Them at the Central Park Zoo: See the Mouse Deer in the center area of the tropical rain forest.

Description: Chevrotains look like miniature deer, even though they are not really deer.  They weigh from 9 to 13 pounds, and can grow up to 24 inches in length.  Their fur is mostly brown, with white underparts.  They have a pointed snout and large eyes, and males have curved tusks.  They have four digits on each foot.

What do they eat:  Fruit and berries. At the Central Park Zoo, they are fed alfalfa pellets, fruits, vegetables, and vitamin and mineral supplements.

Life span: 12—14 years old

Threats: Endangered

Fun Facts: Known as a “living fossil” because it has not evolved much in 30 million years. Chevrotains are sometimes called “mouse deer”, but they are not really deer.  They have a 3-chambered stomach, instead of the 4-chambered stomach that deer have.  Some of their leg bones are fused together for strength, and that also distinguishes them from true deer.