Moschus fuscus

Taxonomy (Name)

Picture

Distribution, Range

This species occurs in China (northwestern Yunnan and southeastern Tibet), northern Myanmar, northeastern India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, and eastern Nepal (Grubb 2005). It is reported at elevations of 2,600-4,200 m. Within Yunnan, China, it is distributed in Gongshan, Fugong and Bijiang counties (Wang, Y.X., unpublished data, 2008).

IUCN

Map

Country

Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China	IUCN
Indonesia
Japan
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar	IUCN
Mongolia
Philippines
Singapore
Republic of Korea
Thailand
Vietnam

Status

International Status

IUCN Red List Category

ENIUCN

Justification

Listed as Endangered because of a probable serious population decline, estimated to be more than 50% over the last three generations (approximately 21 years), inferred from over-exploitation, shrinkage in distribution, and habitat destruction and degradation. Although there is no direct data available regarding recent declining population rates, the above-mentioned rate of decline seems reasonable based on the high levels of harvesting and habitat loss. It should also be noted that it has a relatively restricted range.

IUCN

CITES

Appendix II IUCN

CMS

National Status

Ecology Discription

Appearance

Habitat

This species is found near the tree line in rhodendron and coniferous forests, forest-edge and rocky ridges at high elevations (2,600-4,200 m). This is a poorly-known form; all life-history attributes are likely similar to those of the Alpine Musk Deer (M. chrysogaster).

IUCN

Population size

Estimating population sizes or trends for musk deer is very difficult, and has rarely been done satisfactorily. Population estimates over large-scale areas are subject to considerable uncertainty (and this is exacerbated by uncertainty over taxonomy). No rigorous population estimates exist within China. According to Wang (1998), the species is very rare, making up less than 10% of musk deer found even within Yunnan, with even fewer reported from Tibet. Yang et al. (2003) considered the species quite rare, perhaps on the verge of extinction. This species is very rare within Myanmar (Than Zaw pers. comm.). Musk glands were exported from Myanmar, and there have been many skin samples from Myanmar as well. There is one recent camera trap record from Khakaborazi National Park, Myanmar (Than Zaw pers. comm.).

IUCN

Behavior

Diet

Reproduction

Threat

Major Threat(s)

The musk produced by this genus of primitive deer is highly valued for its cosmetic and alleged pharmaceutical properties, and can fetch U.S.$45,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds) on the international market. Although this musk, produced in a gland of the males, can be extracted from live animals, most "musk-gatherers" kill the animals to remove the entire sac, which yields only about 25 grams (1/40 of a kilogram) of the brown waxy substance. Such poaching is relatively easy to accomplish and difficult to stop using only legal means (Harris 2007). There is hunting and illegal trade for musk glands from Myanmar to China (Than Zaw pers. comm.). The threat from trade is increasing (Than Zaw pers. comm.).

Musk deer appear to require dense vegetation, either in the form of intact forests or shrublands; thus excessive forest clearing or grazing can preclude musk deer from using such lands (Yang et al. 2003).

IUCN

Conservation and Measurement

International

This species is listed on CITES Appendix II in China, and on Appendix I in the other countries within its range.

IUCN

National

This species is listed on CITES Appendix II in China, and on Appendix I in the other countries within its range. It is on the China Red List as Endangered (A2cd+3cd), and the China Key List as category II. This species has become nominally protected in Myanmar with the creation Khakaborazi National Park, but enforcement of hunting has a long way to go (Than Zaw and J.W. Duckworth pers. comm.).

IUCN

Conservation law

Protected Area

Other Coservation Projects

Citation

Gao, Y. T. 1985. Classification and distribution of the Musk Deer (Moschus) in China. In: Kawamichi (ed.), Contemporary Mammalogy in China and Japan, pp. 113-116. Mammalogical Society of Japan.

Groves, C. P. 1989. Bovidae. In: D. W. Walton and B. J. Richardson (eds), Fauna of Australia, pp. 1061-1066. Australian Government Publishing Service., Canberra, Australia.

Groves, C. P., Yingxiang, W. and Grubb, P. 1995. Taxonomy of Musk-Deer, Genus Moschus (Moschidae, Mammalia). Acta Theriologica Sinica 15(3): 181-197.

Grubb, P. 2005. Artiodactyla. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), pp. 637-722. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA.

Harris, R. B. 2007. Wildlife Conservation in China: Preserving the Habitat of China's Wild West. M. E. Sharpe, Inc, Armonk, New York, USA.

IUCN. 2007. IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Su, B., Wang, Y. X., Lan, H., Wang W. and Zhang, Y. P. 2001. Phylogenetic study of complete cytochrome b genes in Musk deer (Genus Moschus) using museum samples. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 12(3): 241-249.

Wang, Y. X. 1998. Moschus fuscus. In: W. Song (ed.), China red data book of endangered animals, Mammalia, pp. 244-245. Science press, Beijing, China.

Yang, Q. S., Meng, X. X., Xia, L. and Lin Feng, Z. J. 2003. Conservation status and causes of decline of musk deer (Moschus spp.) in China. Biological Conservation 109: 333-342.

IUCN