Lesser Oriental Chevrotain
Tragulus kanchil
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderArtiodactyla (Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans)
- FamilyTragulidae (Chevrotains)
- GenusTragulus (Southeast Asian Chevrotains)
- SpeciesTragulus kanchil (Lesser Oriental Chevrotain)
About the Lesser Oriental Chevrotain
The lesser mouse-deer, lesser Malay chevrotain, or kanchil (Tragulus kanchil) is a species of even-toed ungulate in the family Tragulidae. The lesser mouse-deer is found widely across Southeast Asia in Indochina, Myanmar (Kra Isthmus), Brunei, Cambodia, China (Southern Yunnan), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra and many other small islands), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and many other small islands), Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
It is one of the smallest known hoofed mammals, its mature size being as little as 45 cm (18 inches) and 2 kg (4.4 lb) and related to the even smaller Java mouse-deer. It is threatened by predation by feral dogs. Research revealed that this species which was initially believed to be nocturnal actually conduct their activities during the day. Also, though many births occur in May, November or December, the females are able to reproduce throughout the year.
Males stamp their feet to communicate—possibly as a signal of dominance or resource holding potential. In Indonesian and Malaysian folklore, the mouse-deer Sang Kancil is a cunning trickster similar to Br'er... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Lesser Oriental Chevrotain in Kerinci Seblat National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kerinci Seblat National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |