A silver-backed chevrotain is spotted by a camera trap on June 21, 2018 (Source: AFP/VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – For the first time in almost threedecades, the silver-backed chevrotain or mouse deer that is thought to be onthe verge of extinction has been spotted in a jungle in Vietnam.
According to a study published on November 11 inthe journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the species, Tragulus versicolor, waslast recorded in 1990 when Vietnamese and Russian researchers obtained aspecimen killed by a hunter.
Recently, based on information from localresidents, scientists set camera traps for five months in a jungle area nearthe central coastal city of Nha Trang, resulting in 275 photos of the species.Later, they set up another 29 cameras in the same area, recording 1,881 photosof the chevrotain over five months.
The silver-backed chevrotain is among the top 25most wanted lost species in the Search for Lost Species of the Global WildlifeConservation (GWC) report.
Despite their common English names, chevrotainsare neither mice nor deer, but the world's smallest ungulates (hoofed mammals).They are shy and solitary, appear to walk on the tips of their hooves and havetwo tiny fangs. Chevrotains typically weigh less than 5kg.
The animal was first described in 1910 when fourindividuals were found near Nha Trang. The fifth individual was collected froma hunter in central Vietnam in 1990.
According to Andrew Tilker, Asian speciesofficer at GWC, there is very little information about this animal. There-discovery of the species doesn’t mean it is not threatened, so swift actionsare needed to conserve them./.
VNA
