Mammals

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Reeves’ muntjac

  • Muntiacus reevesi
  • Reeves_muntjac_1
    Reeves’ muntjac (photo © Dave Butcher)
Category: Ungulates (Deer, boar etc)
  • Identification:

    16 A fully-grown muntjac has a red-brown summer pelage with a buff-coloured underside and variable amounts of white on the chin and inside of the thighs. The tail is a rich red or chestnut colour with white on the underside. The winter coat is much greyer and almost black on the underside, and males at maturity have a near V-shaped black stripe up the pedicles (antler attachment points) and frontal region of the head.

    Males (bucks) acquire simple unbranched antlers at between five and 20 weeks old and these continue to develop as the buck ages, eventually forming small brow tines. Bucks shed and regrow their antlers each year. Muntjac have a distinctive dog-like barking call and lift their large tail when running away, revealing a white underside. They are usually solitary and may live for 14 years in the wild.

    Muntjac is the smallest British deer species, and cannot easily be confused with other species except the Chinese water deer which has not occurred in Kent to date.  
  • Head and body length: 77-91cm
  • Shoulder height : 45-52cm
  • Tail length: 13-18cm
  • Weight: ♂ 12.3-17kg ♀ 10-16kg
  • Distribution Map: Reeves muntjac distribution in Kent Source: 2002–2012 Kent Mammal Atlas. These maps are provided for reference and do not include more recent recording updates

Field signs

Searching for field signs when the deer are at low density is very difficult. The small slots (footprints) of adults and fawns are recognised with experience, but otherwise could be easily missed. Damage to vegetation can be confused with rabbit damage. 

Habits

Muntjac prefer dense habitats such as young coppice, scrub, unkempt gardens, rapeseed fields and similar habitats, especially where there is a diverse ‘field’ layer of vegetation.  

Reproduction and life cycle

A buck will usually mate with more than one doe (female) if she wanders into his territory. A single fawn is born after about five to seven months’ gestation and multiple births are rare. Since breeding can take place at any time of year, the population can increase quickly. 

Distribution, status and conservation

An introduced species, muntjac are are widely established in SE England, including Kent. This is a fast-breeding invasive species with a rapidly growing UK population. Records from other counties indicate that they can travel some distance, possibly resulting in a rapid rate of spread.

There are scattered records of muntjac throughout the county, but little evidence of breeding, so the animals which are recorded are probably wandering males. However, their recorded distribution may be misleading due to the amount of woodland and similar habitat within Kent where the species could be missed when at low density. In East Anglia where they are common, they are easily seen even in broad daylight.

There is no closed season for shooting muntjac because of their year-round breeding.

 
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