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| Common Name: | Lesser Malayan chevrotain | Family: | Tragulidae |
| Latin Name: | Tragulus javanicus | Diet: | Herbivore |
| Type: | Mammal | Habitat: | Grasslands |
| Native To: | Asia | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Data deficient |
Lesser Malayan chevrotains at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh has four lesser Malayan chevrotains. Our adult female, Minni, was born in 2005. Minni has two offspring: a female named Seram, who was born in March 2009, and a male name Badan that was born in September 2008. In April 2009, we received Manni, a male that was born in 2008. We hope that he will help us to start a new breeding programme at Edinburgh Zoo.
Where it can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
Seram, Manni and Minni can all be seen at the Pudu house, just west of the Scottish wildcat enclosure. Badan can be seen in the Rainbow Landings exhibit.
Lesser Malayan chevrotains in the wild
Also called the “mouse deer,” lesser Malayan chevrotains (Tragulus javanicus) are the smallest ungulates (hoofed mammals) in the world. This chevrotain’s body is about the same size as a rabbit, but they have long, slender legs. Although these chevrotains are known as “mouse deer,” they are not true deer. The chevrotain family is a more primitive group that branched off the deer family.
Lesser Malayan chevrotains are endemic to (meaning, unique to) the island of Java in Indonesia. They prefer areas with thick understory vegetation, such as that along riverbanks.
The diet of the chevrotain consists of leaves, buds, shrubs and fruits that have fallen onto the forest floor. They live in small family groups, usually a breeding pair and their young. The adult male is very territorial and will mark his land and mate with secretions.
When feeling threatened, the chevrotain will beat its hoof on the ground at up to seven times a second, creating a “drum roll” to warn intruders off. If this does not work, it will then chase the intruder from its territory. Chevrotains do not have antlers; however, they do have long fangs, which they use to slash at rivals.
Very little is known about the true numbers of this species in the wild. Although they are officially a protected species, trapping and hunting of lesser Malayan chevrotains is very common, and habitat loss also suggests that the species could be declining. However, because of the lack of data, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated this species as “Data Deficient.”
Breeding programme category: EEP
IUCN Red List category: Data Deficient
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