Page 49 - Animals of the Sakhalin Region in myths and legends

Musk deer, Sakhalin

(Mochus moschiferus sachalinensis)

The body length of an adult individual reaches 1 m, the height at
the withers is 70 cm. The musk deer have no horns, instead of them
sabershaped fangs serve as the tournament weapon of males. They
protrude from under the upper lip by 7–9 cm. The color of musk deer
is highly variable, it can vary from yellow-brown to brownish-black.
Light spots are often pronounced.
It feeds on lichens, leaves and young shoots of various shrubs, fir
and cedar needles, ferns, horsetails and some other plants.
The habitat of the Sakhalin musk deer on the island. Sakhalin is
estimated at 3–4 thousand km2, it is found in Korsakovsky, Nevelsky,
Anivsky, Tomarinsky, Makarovsky, Poronaysky, Tymovsky,
Aleksandrovsky, Nogliksky and in the south of Okhinsky districts.

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