Water deer Hydropotes inermis
Nov 02, 2021
2 minutes
Among all of the true deer of the Cervidae, the Chinese water deer buck is unique in that he never grows antlers. Instead, he bears a pair of elongated canine tusks that are used for self-defence and fighting with other bucks. The lack of antlers along with a preference for marshy habitats have given rise to the species’ scientific name, which translates from the original Greek as ‘unarmed water drinker’.
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