Reeves's muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), also known as the Chinese muntjac, is a species of muntjac found widely in south-eastern China (from Gansu to Yunnan) and Taiwan. It has also been introduced in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Japan. It takes its name from John Reeves, a naturalist employed by the British East India Company in the 19th century. Muntjac deer are the smallest deer in Britain, about the size of a labrador dog. They originated in southeast China and were brought to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire, by John Russell Reeves in 1838. During the 1920s, some individuals escaped and muntjac are now established in the wild. They have a deep reddish-brown glossy coat. When they are alarmed, they raise their distinctive long, dark tail to reveal the white patch underneath. Males and females can be distinguished by the dark markings on their face. Both sexes also have conspicuous dark pouches beneath their eyes, which are scent glands and used to communicate with each other. Males have short, straight, antlers, which point backwards and which are cast in May and June and subsequently re-grow by the autumn. Males also have large canine teeth, which extend beyond their upper lip and are used when fighting other males. They are usually solitary, secretive animals, mainly active at night.
The muntjac is a small deer, growing up to 52cm high at the shoulder. They have a light red-brown fur, apart from their stomach which is creamy white. Their black facial markings are diamond-shaped on does (females) and V-shaped on bucks (males). Longer hind legs give the muntjac their characteristic hunched appearance. Male muntjacs have short, backwards-curving and unbranched antlers. These antlers are shed in late spring and regrow by late autumn. They also have a long pair of canine teeth that protrude from the mouth. Unlike other species of deer, muntjac do not have a set rutting period and can mate throughout the year. The gestation period is around 210 days, and does usually give birth to a single fawn, although two are sometimes born. Female muntjacs can become pregnant again just days after giving birth. Fawns are weaned after eight weeks, and females reach sexual maturity within their first year. The muntjac is generally solitary but can sometimes be found in family groups. Bucks defend a territory against other males, but does will overlap with other females more freely.
