鼷鹿科科

分布

鼷鹿属主要分布于东南亚地区，斑鼷鹿属主要分布于南亚地区，水鼷鹿分布在非洲的热带森林中。

特征

鼷鹿类仅有3胃室，反刍能力尚不完善，体型均小，无角。早期的鼷鹿尾长，但现代的鼷鹿尾短。鼷鹿的犬齿发达而外露，臼齿具新月型齿尖。

习性

鼷鹿科成员均为热带的林栖动物，夜行性，单独行动。草食，肩高约30厘米，特点为似用蹄尖行走。

部分鼷鹿科物种对水有惊人的亲和力，常长时间潜伏以避开掠食者或其他不受欢迎的入侵。这也支持了鲸鱼是由喜爱水域、外观类似小鹿的生物演化而来的说法。

分类

• 鼷鹿科是鼷鹿下目中仅存的一科，已知现存共有3属10种：
• 水鼷鹿属
• 水鼷鹿 Hyemoschus aquaticus
• 鼷鹿属
• 爪哇鼷鹿 Tragulus javanicus
• 大鼷鹿 Tragulus napu
• 小鼷鹿 Tragulus kanchil
• 菲律宾鼷鹿 Tragulus nigricans
• 越南鼷鹿 Tragulus versicolor
• 云南鼷鹿 Tragulus williamsoni
• 斑鼷鹿属
• 斑鼷鹿 Moschiola meminna
• 印度鼷鹿 Moschiola indica
• 黄纹鼷鹿 Moschiola kathygre （新发现物种）

Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small, 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, but several species also are known only from fossils. The extant species are found in forests in South and Southeast Asia; a single species, the water chevrotain, is found in the rainforests of Central and West Africa. In November 2019, conservation scientists announced that they had photographed silver-backed chevrotains (Tragulus versicolor) in a Vietnamese forest for the first time since the last confirmed sightings in 1990.

They are solitary, or live in loose groupings or pairs, and feed almost exclusively on plant material. Chevrotains are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. The Asian species weigh between 1–4 kg (2–9 lb), while the African chevrotain is considerably larger, at 7–16 kg (15–35 lb). With an average length of 45 cm (18 in) and an average height of 30 cm (12 in), the Java mouse-deer is the smallest surviving ungulate (hoofed) mammal, as well as the smallest artiodactyl (even-toed ungulate). Despite their common name of "mouse-deer", they are not closely related to true deer, hence the orthographic distinction by means of the hyphen.

Etymology

The word "chevrotain" comes from the Middle French word chevrot (kid or fawn), derived from chèvre (goat).

The single African species is consistently known as "chevrotain". The names "chevrotain" and "mouse-deer" have been used interchangeably among the Asian species, though recent authorities typically have preferred chevrotain for the species in the genus Moschiola and mouse-deer for the species in the genus Tragulus. Consequently, all species with pale-spotted or -striped upper parts are known as "chevrotain" and without are known as "mouse-deer".

Biology

The family was widespread and successful from the Oligocene (34 million years ago) through the Miocene (about 5 million years ago). Their basic morphology has changed little, though some species in the genus Dorcatherium were several times larger than any extant species. They have four-chambered stomachs to ferment tough plant foods, but the third chamber is poorly developed. Unlike other artiodactyls, they lack a carotid rete, and so cannot heat exchange cool blood entering their brains, a thermoregulatory innovation that allows other artiodactyls to exploit hot arid habitats.

Taxonomy

Tragulidae's placement within Artiodactyla can be represented in the following cladogram:

Traditionally, only four extant species were recognized in the family Tragulidae. In 2004, T. nigricans and T. versicolor were split from T. napu, and T. kanchil and T. williamsoni were split from T. javanicus. In 2005, M. indica and M. kathygre were split from M. meminna. With these changes, the 10 extant species are:

• Family Tragulidae
• Genus Hyemoschus
• Water chevrotain, Hyemoschus aquaticus
• Genus Moschiola
• Indian spotted chevrotain, Moschiola indica
• Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain, Moschiola meminna
• Yellow-striped chevrotain, Moschiola kathygre
• Genus Tragulus

Extinct chevrotains

The Hypertragulidae were closely related to the Tragulidae.

• The six extinct chevrotain genera include:
• Genus Dorcatherium
• Dorcatherium minus from Pakistan
• Dorcatherium majus from Pakistan
• Dorcatherium naui, from Central Europe
• Genus Dorcabune
• Dorcabune anthracotherioides from Pakistan
• Dorcabune nagrii from Pakistan
• Genus Afrotragulus Sánchez, Quiralte, Morales and Pickford, 2010

Afrotragulus moruorotensis (previously "Dorcatherium" moruorotensis Pickford, 2001) (early Miocene) from Moruorot, Kenya

Afrotragulus parvus (previously "D." parvus Withworth 1958) (early Miocene) from Rusinga Island, Kenya

Genus Siamotragulus

Mythology

According to the Malay Annals, King Parameswara, seeking a place to found a new city, came to a place where he saw a mouse-deer (kancil in Malay) kicking his hunting dog into the river. He thought this boded well, remarking, "This place is excellent. Even the mouse deer is formidable. It is best that we establish a kingdom here". This became the Malacca Sultanate and Malacca its capital. In memory of this founding legend, the coat of arms of Malacca depicts two mouse-deer.

The mouse-deer or Sang Kancil is also a well-known trickster of Malay folklore.