Just What Is The Chevrotain?

Some animals are all around us. Sure, we might not want to get up close and personal with all of them, but there’s a good chance we know a fair bit about the most common animals in the world. Then there are the ones on the other end of the scale - the animals that seem to be a result of Mother Nature having some fun.

Is it a deer? Is it a mouse? It turns out the mouse deer, better known as the chevrotain, goes by many names. Whether it’s planning on giving the platypus a run for its money or it somehow escaped from a child’s drawing, plenty of people have been left wondering the same thing: just what is the chevrotain?

Chevrotains aren’t deer or mice

They might often be called the mouse deer - and look like some kind of hybrid between mice, deer, and pigs - but the chevrotain is actually none. They do share a suborder with deer - the Ruminantia - so people haven’t been entirely wrong. However, they aren’t considered to be “true deer” like other members of the species. Instead, chevrotains have their very own family called Tragulidae.

There are several types of chevrotains

Believe it or not, but there is more than one type of chevrotain in the world. They are split into two different genera: the true chevrotains - called Hyemoschus - and the mouse deer - called the Tragulus. Even then, things branch even further when it comes to the spotted mouse deer. As so little is known about them, and they are so unusual, they have their own genus, Moschiola. Each chevrotain shares similar looks and characteristics, with individual species weighing anywhere from four to 33 pounds. Whatever the case, no species is larger than a small breed of dog.

They haven’t evolved much since they were created

Little is known about chevrotains, but scientists have managed to track the species back a long way. The twist? They really haven’t changed much since they evolved all those years ago. They are thought to be the most primitive of the ruminants, and have characteristics similar to other deer. Still, there are some differences, as chevrotains have three-chambered stomachs compared to deer, who have four. They also don’t have antlers or horns. Scientists have named chevrotain as the evolutionary link between non-ruminants and ruminants, stating not much has changed since they branched away from their cousins.

The species comes with a unique pair of fangs

One thing plenty of people don’t expect to see when they spot a chevrotain is an impressive set of fangs, yet one yawn later, and we realize they aren’t as cute and innocent as they seem on the surface. The males have even longer fangs than the females, and each is needle-sharp. However, they might not be all that dangerous to other chevrotains. They use them to bite at each other when they fight, but their robust muscles around their rumps and necks, teamed with an extra thick coat, means that chevrotains are protected from bites pretty well.

Chevrotains use the water as their best defense

They might have sharp fangs, but they aren’t the first things chevrotains use when they’re under attack. Instead, the water chevrotain is known to use, you guessed it, the water to its advantage, diving underneath the surface whenever they sense a predator. That’s not all. The water chevrotain will walk along the bottom of a stream or river to avoid being swept off by a current, even using plants and reeds to stay tethered to the ground if they can. They can even hold their breath for four minutes and reemerge before diving back down if they feel unsafe. Sadly, being so small means that they also get tired quickly, so they can’t swim for long.

They can be pregnant pretty much their entire lives

One of the strangest things about chevrotains is how they reproduce. Females will carry their young for anywhere between five and nine months, depending on the species, with babies standing up within an hour of being born. Mothers will also leave their young to it for the most part but will visit to offer feeds every now and then. Still, the strange part is how chevrotains are almost continually pregnant. Some species, such as the Malay mouse deer, can fall pregnant again just a few hours after giving birth.

Just what is the chevrotain? Simply put, one of the strangest creatures Mother Nature has ever created. Still, there’s a lot to learn about these wonderful animals, even if they can be enough to get our heads in a spin.