View source for Reeves's muntjac

{{Short description|Species of deer}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Reeves's muntjac
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Timmins, J. |author2=Chan, B. |date=2016 |title=''Muntiacus reevesi'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T42191A170905827 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T42191A170905827.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Chinesischer Muntjak Muntiacus reevesi Zoo Augsburg-04.jpg
|image_caption = At [[Augsburg Zoo|Augsburg Zoo]]
| taxon = Muntiacus reevesi
| authority = ([[William Ogilby|Ogilby]], 1839)
}}

'''Reeves's muntjac''' ('''''Muntiacus reevesi'''''), also known as the '''Chinese muntjac''',<ref name="Harris1995" /> is a species of [[muntjac]] found widely in south-eastern China (from [[Gansu]] to [[Yunnan]]) and Taiwan.<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3}}</ref> It has also been [[Introduced species|introduced]] in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Japan. It takes its name from [[John Reeves (naturalist)|John Reeves]],<ref name="Ogilby1838">{{Cite book |title=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |year=1838 |pages=105 |language=en |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/96163#page/453/mode/1up |volume=6|quote=Cervus Reevesi}}</ref> a [[naturalist]] employed by the [[British East India Company]] in the 19th century.

==Description==
Reeves's muntjac grows to {{convert|0.5|m|abbr=on}} high at the shoulder<ref name="DEFRA">{{cite web |url=https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnativespecies/factsheet/factsheet.cfm?speciesId=2263 |publisher=[[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|DEFRA]] |title=Muntjac, ''Muntiacus reevesi'' |work=GB Non-native species secretariat}}</ref> and {{convert|0.95|m|abbr=on}} in length, plus a short tail up to {{cvt|4|inch|cm}} long. It weighs between {{convert|10|and|18|kg|abbr=on}} when fully grown. It is reddish-brown in appearance with striped markings on its face.<ref name="DEFRA"/> The belly is creamy-white, with lighter fur extending to the neck, chin, and the underside of the tail. The males have short [[antler]]s,<ref name="DEFRA"/> usually {{cvt|4|inch|cm}} or less, and long upper canines ([[tusk]]s), usually about {{cvt|2|inch|cm}} long. Females have bony lumps on their foreheads and localized black spots. The Taiwanese [[subspecies]] (''M. r. micrurus''), commonly known as the Formosan Reeves's muntjac, is darker than other subspecies.

{{plain image with caption|File:Muntjac deer at Dumbleton Hall (cropped).jpg|At [[Dumbleton Hall]]|220|right|top|triangle|rgba(0,110,255,1)}}

==Behavior==
Reeves's muntjac feeds on herbs, [[blossom]]s, succulent shoots, fungi, berries, [[grasses]], and [[Nut (fruit)|nut]]s, and has also been reported to eat tree bark. Eggs and [[carrion]] are eaten opportunistically.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkive.org/reeves-muntjac/muntiacus-reevesi/|title=Reeve's muntjac videos, photos and facts – Muntiacus reevesi|website=Arkive|access-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027052532/http://www.arkive.org/reeves-muntjac/muntiacus-reevesi/|archive-date=2017-10-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is also called the barking deer due to its distinctive barking sound,<ref name ="BDS"/> though this name is also used for other species of [[muntjac]]s. The barking sound is common during mating or when provoked. Its preferred habitats are forest and [[shrubland]]. It is a solitary and [[crepuscular]] animal. Both males and females defend small territories that they mark with [[preorbital gland]] secretions that are thought to be pheromonal in nature.<ref>{{cite book|doi=10.1007/0-387-25160-X_19|chapter=The gland and the sac — the preorbital apparatus of muntjacs|title=Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 10|pages=152–158|year=2005|last1=Rehorek|first1=Susan J.|last2=Hillenius|first2=Willem J.|last3=Kennaugh|first3=John|last4=Chapman|first4=Norma|isbn=978-0-387-25159-2}}</ref> When fighting, males first use their antlers to push enemies off balance so they can wound them with their {{cvt|2|inch|cm}}  upper canine teeth.
[[File:HachijojimaIsland-kyon-2018-5-5.webm|thumb|On [[Hachijō-jima]]]]

==Reproduction==
{{plain image with caption|Muntiacus reevesi Zoo Praha 2011-7.jpg|Female, [[Prague Zoo]]|220|right|top|triangle|rgba(255,110,110,1)}}
Female muntjacs (known as "does"<ref name ="BDS">{{Cite web |url=https://bds.org.uk/information-advice/about-deer/deer-species/muntjac-deer/ |title=Muntjac Deer |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=The British Deer Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321134657/https://bds.org.uk/information-advice/about-deer/deer-species/muntjac-deer/ |archive-date=2022-03-21 |url-status=live}}</ref>) become sexually mature within the first year of life.<ref>Chapman, Norma G., M. Furlong, and S. Harris. "Reproductive strategies and the influence of date of birth on growth and sexual development of an aseasonally‐breeding ungulate: Reeves' muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi)". ''Journal of Zoology'' 241.3 (1997): 551–570.</ref> Mating occurs throughout the year. Their gestation period lasts from 209 to 220 days.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitehead|first=Kenneth|title=The Whitehead Encyclopedia of Deer|year=1993|publisher=Voyager Press|location=Stillwater, MN|page=597}}</ref> Females limit the number of mating bouts, though time between successive bouts is determined by males<ref>{{cite journal|last=Yahner|first=Richard|title=Temporal Patterns in Male Mating Behavior of Captive Reeve's Muntjac (muntiacus Reevesi)|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=August 1979|volume=60|issue=3|series=3|pages=560–567|doi=10.2307/1380097|jstor=1380097}}</ref> (known as "bucks"<ref name ="BDS"/>).

==Distribution==
It is widely found in south-eastern China (from [[Gansu]] to [[Yunnan]]) and Taiwan.<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3}}</ref> It has also been [[Introduced species|introduced]] in several other regions.

===Continental Europe===
It has been introduced in [[Belgium]] and seen in the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hollander |first1=Hans |title=Reeves' muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) in the Netherlands |url=https://www.zoogdiervereniging.nl/sites/default/files/imce/nieuwesite/Winkel/pdf%20download/Lutra%2058%281%29_Hollander_2015.pdf |publisher=Dutch Mammal Society |access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref>

In Europe, this species is included since 2016 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list).<ref>{{Cite web|title=List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern - Environment - European Commission|url=https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/list/index_en.htm|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|title=REGULATION (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European parliament and of the council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R1143&from=EN}}</ref>

===Great Britain===
Reeves's muntjacs were first introduced to the UK in the early 19th century.<ref name="Lever2009">{{Cite book |title=The naturalized animals of Britain and Ireland |last=Lever |first=Christopher |publisher=New Holland Publishers (UK) |year=2009 |isbn=9781847734549 |location=London |pages=95–100 |language=en |url=https://archive.org/details/naturalizedanima0000leve_i7q2/page/n5/mode/2up |chapter=Reeves's muntjac |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/naturalizedanima0000leve_i7q2/page/95/mode/1up |url-access=registration}}
* cited sources: History and distribution: Chapman 1994, 1995; Population: Harris et al. 1995, Chapman 2008</ref>

In the late 19th century, the then [[Duke of Bedford]] brought some to [[Woburn Abbey]] in Bedfordshire, then in 1901 released them into the surrounding woods.{{r|"Lever2009"|page=96}} A few more probably escaped from the nearby [[Whipsnade Zoo]]. During the mid-20th century, Woburn conducted several deliberate releases in distant locations throughout England.{{r|"Lever2009"|page=97}} It is suspected that there were also other unrecorded releases or escapes from private collections. These releases later caused misperception that muntjacs spread very rapidly.{{r|"Lever2009"|page=98}} The estimated population of Reeves's muntjacs in England was 52,000 in 1995,<ref name="Harris1995">{{Cite report |title=A review of British mammals:population estimates and conservation status of British mammals other than cetaceans |chapter=Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi |date=1995 |chapter-url=http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-2759|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713014659/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk:80/page-2759 |last1=Harris |first1=Stephen |access-date=2022-08-28 |url-status=dead |last2=Morris |first2=Pat |publisher=[[Joint Nature Conservation Committee]] (UK) |pages=101–102 |language=en |isbn=1-873701-68-3 |last3=Wray |first3=Stephanie |last4=Yalden |first4=Derek |archive-date=2011-07-13}}
* p101: in England around 40,000, in Scotland fewer than 50, in Wales fewer than 250.
* p102: additional fawn and immature individuals 30% (12,000)
</ref> and 104,000 in 2008.{{r|"Lever2009"|page=100}}

Under the [[Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981]] it was illegal to release the species except where already established, and the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 has subsequently prohibited the capture and re-release of muntjac in all cases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2019/159/made#:~:text=%28ii%29%20article%2035%281%29%28b%29%20of%20the%20Invasive%20Alien%20Species,accordance%20with%20Article%208%20of%20the%20Principal%20Regulation|title=Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019}}</ref> {{As of|2017}}, colonies exist throughout England south of the [[Humber]], and the population continues to grow.<ref name="BDS_distribution2017">{{Cite web |url=https://bds.org.uk/information-advice/about-deer/deer-species/muntjac-deer/ |title=Muntjac Deer |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=The British Deer Society |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321134657/https://bds.org.uk/information-advice/about-deer/deer-species/muntjac-deer/ |archive-date=2022-03-21 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Ireland===
It has been introduced in the Republic of Ireland.<ref>Sleeman, D. P. and Carlsson, J. Introduction in Sleeman, D. P., Carlsson, J. and Carlsson, J. E. L. (eds) 2014. "Mind the Gap 11.: new insights into the Irish postglacial". ''Ir Nat J.'' {{ISBN|978-0-9569704-8-0}}</ref> 

Sightings in 2008 caused the government, concerned at the risk of the species becoming established, to quickly introduce a year-round hunting season.<ref >Under Statutory Instrument 346 of 2008</ref >

===Japanese archipelago===
Sometime before the 1980s, several specimens escaped from an exhibition zoo in [[Chiba Prefecture]] in eastern Japan.<ref name="NHK20240510"/> By 2023, their numbers had grown to 71,500.<ref name="NHK20240510">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nhk.or.jp/shutoken/newsup/20240510c.html |date=2024-05-10 |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=[[NHK]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517151535/https://www.nhk.or.jp/shutoken/newsup/20240510c.html |archive-date=2024-05-17 |url-status=live |language=ja |script-title=ja:千葉県で大量繁殖 茨城県神栖市や筑西市などで動物「キョン」確認相次ぐ“目撃情報に報奨金制度 新設へ” |trans-title=The animal "Kyon", prolific in Chiba, sighted at Ibaragi. Prefecture government introduces incentive for sighting reports}}
* 令和4年度=Fiscal year [[Reiwa]] 4. Reiwa 4 = AD 2022, and fiscal years end next March, therefore the end of fiscal year Reiwa 4 is March 2023.</ref> It is considered a harmful invasive species.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/10250e.html|title=Reeves's (or Chinese) Muntjac / Invasive Species of Japan|website=[[National Institute for Environmental Studies]], Japan|access-date=7 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202034214/https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/10250e.html|archive-date=2017-02-02|url-status=live}}</ref> Also, Reeves's muntjac escaped a zoo on [[Izu Ōshima]] in 1970 when a fence fell due to a typhoon. They have inflicted severe damage to the local {{transliteration|ja|[[ashitaba]]}} plantations.<ref name="TokyoShimbun2015"/> A muntjac eradication effort on Izu Ōshima was undertaken in 2007&ndash;2014 but failed, and as of 2014, at least 11,000 individuals exist and have a yearly population growth rate of 15%. This failure has been blamed on inadequate survey methods.<ref name="TokyoShimbun2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2015090390135941.html|script-title=ja:東京新聞:社会:大島のキョンが猛繁殖 島民より多い1万1000頭 アシタバ被害|trans-title=|lang=ja|website=TOKYO Web ([[Tokyo Shimbun]])|date=2015-09-13|access-date=7 April 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927212438/http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2015090390135941.html|archive-date=27 September 2015}}</ref>

==Conservation==
In Hong Kong, Reeve's muntjac is a [[List of protected species in Hong Kong|protected species]] under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. It is listed as [[least concern]] by the [[IUCN]] due to being generally common and widespread.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />

== Economic significance ==
The tanned skin of Reeves's muntjac is notable for its softness and is occasionally used in beauty-care products, musical instruments, lenses, and antique items packaging. Low-fat muntjac meat is also noted for its culinary qualities.<ref>Charles Smith, ''Muntjac: Managing an Alien Species'' {{ISBN|978-1904784029}}</ref>

{{clear}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Muntiacus reevesi|''Muntiacus reevesi''}}

{{Artiodactyla|R.1}}
{{English Game}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q695973}}

[[Category:Muntjacs|Reeves's muntjac]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Mammals of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Mammals of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1839|Reeves's muntjac]]