Bornean Yellow Muntjac

Bornean Yellow Muntjac

You’ll find the Bornean Yellow (Muntiacus atherodes) in the dense forests of Borneo, where it lives alongside its close relative the Common Muntjac. It was only recognized as an independent species recently, and one of the key defining features which distinguishes it from its much more common cousin are the shorter antlers of the Bornean Yellow Muntjac.

We do not know a lot about the behavior and unique rituals of this deer species since it has not been the subject of extensive study.

On this page we will provide what we do know about the Bornean Muntjac deer species.

Bornean Yellow Muntjac Size

  • Head-Body Length – 90-100 cm
  • Shoulder Height – up to 50 cm
  • Tail Length – 14-20 cm
  • Weight – 13-18 kg

What Does the Bornean Yellow Muntjac Look Like?

The Bornean Yellow Muntjac is similar in appearance to other Muntjac deer species. It has a small rounded body, short legs and the characteristic short and simple spiked antlers seen in Muntjac.

The coat is a yellowish brown color. The under parts are paler and are whitish in color.

The males rarely shed their antlers, which grow to only 5 cm in length.

Where Does Muntiacus Atherodes Live?

This deer lives on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.

The Bornean Yellow Muntjac is common here, in spite o the fact that people hunt it for its meat and skin. It is not considered to be at any conservation risk.

Preferred Habitat

These deer prefer to live in areas of thick rain forest and dense cover.

Mating Habits & Reproduction

Not much is known about the reproductive lifestyle of this animal. As we mentioned earlier, since this species was only recently recognized, this deer has been the subject of limited study and observation.

Whether it has distinct breeding and rutting periods is unclear.

What is known is that typically a single young deer is born after a 7 month long gestation period. Fawns are suckled for 2 months, and become mature when they reach 12 months of age.

Unique Behavior and Habits

Again, little research has been done and little is known about how this species lives.

It is thought that the behavior of the Bornean Yellow Muntjac is similar to other species of Muntjac in that it lives in small territories either alone or in monogamous pairs.

They have the characteristic barking alarm calls that is seen in other Muntjac species of deer.

This deer’s diet eat a variety of foodstuffs found within their forest homes, including leaves, fruits, shoots and grasses.

Picture of By: Ian from World Deer

By: Ian from World Deer

A passionate writer for WorldDeer using the most recent data on all animals with a keen focus on deer species.

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