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A rare Indian mouse deer was recently photographed at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Vasai.

About Indian Mouse Deer

• Scientific Name: Moschiola indica.
• It is the smallest deer species in India, standing about 25-30 cm at shoulder height and weighing 2-4 kg.
• Fur is dark brown with white underparts and has rows of white spots on the back.
• It is an even-toed ungulate, part of the family Tragulidae, evolutionary linking deer and pigs.
• Native and endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, especially peninsular India including Western and Eastern Ghats, central Indian forests, and some old records from Nepal.
• Diet primarily herbivorous: tender leaves, fungi, fruits, roots, and occasionally insects, crustaceans, and small animals.
• Has a unique three-chambered stomach (unlike the typical four-chambered ruminants).
• Conservation status: Least Concern but threatened by habitat loss and human disturbance.

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