I'd like photos, descriptions, and/or info about the exotic deer that
has little flaps (or vents) on either side of its face.  I think it
may be in Africa or Australia, but I'm not sure.  I've seen it
featured on animal shows a couple of times.  One link that features a
description and good photos would be enough.

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 03 Jun 2003 21:00 PDT

Hi tabaddon-ga,

Please take a look at this image.
http://www.hostcorps.com/imagehost/u/researchers/Bobbie7/DEER.jpg

Could this be the exotic deer that you’re referring to?

Please let me know if I’m correct in order to post the information I have found.

Thanks
Bobbie7-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 03 Jun 2003 21:15 PDT

I should have mentioned that the above picture is  of a  new deer
species discovered in South East Asia.
--Bobbie7

---

Request for Question Clarification by knowledge_seeker-ga on 04 Jun 2003 07:13 PDT

Hi tabaddon,

I'm interested in answering your question (assuming Bobbie7 hasn't
already found your deer), but I'm wondering if you can help narrow
down my search a little.

Can you tell me if the animal you saw had ANTLERS - like this:

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~adrf/images/RedStag.jpg

Or if it had HORNS - like this: 

http://snow.prohosting.com/dotravel/tanzania/graphics/antelope.jpg

Notice that antlers are forked, horns are not. Or did it have nothing
on its head at all?

Also, do you have an idea of size?  Was it a tiny creature or was it
large like say a caribou?

Finally, what about its habitat? When they showed it on TV was is
running in herds across the plains, walking in small groups thorugh
the woods, or was it a solitary creature?

I'm pretty sure I can narrow down the animal you're looking for once I
hear back from you.  Use your CLARIFY QUESTION button and both Bobbie7
and I will be notified of your response.

Thanks!

-K~

---

Clarification of Question by tabaddon-ga on 04 Jun 2003 11:57 PDT

Bobbie, Seeker, thanks for the quick response and the questions, I'll
address them one at a time:

1.  Bobbie, that may be it, it's hard to tell if it has those vents or
not, but the basic head shape looks right.

2.  Could be Asia, and that even makes some sense, now that I think of
it.

3.  I don't think it had anything on its head, and certainly not
antlers.  (BTW, your second link may be fubar.)
    It's not large, but not tiny either.  I thought I had put
"small-to-medium-sized" in my query, but obviously didn't.
    I have no idea of its habitat, sorry.

It was featured with platypus and star-nosed moles, and the like, just
for its unusual freakiness.  I saw it a couple years ago and I can't
recall anything more specific.

Hope this helps.

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 04 Jun 2003 12:31 PDT

Hi tabaddon-ga,

The deer you’re referring to may be  the Leef Deer.


From ABC News:

Science Finds Smallest Deer:DNA Analysis Confirms New Species

“It’s about the size of a large beagle with thin, curving knife-like
canines hanging from its mouth like a vampire, and it can bark for
hours.”

(..) 

“The species, weighing just 25 pounds and standing 20 inches tall at
the shoulder, was found by Alan Rabinowitz of the Wildlife
Conservation Society while on a 1997 biological survey in northern
Burma.”
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/deer990629.html


Please review the article and image and let me know if I’m correct in
order to post all the information I have found about this new species.

Thanks
Bobbie7-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by knowledge_seeker-ga on 04 Jun 2003 12:56 PDT

Or could it be this little guy from Africa ....

http://www.hostcorps.com/imagehost/u/researchers/KS/small deer.jpg

..who is known for his facial glands that appear in the form of slits
beneath his eyes?

Let us know if we're getting close here :-)

-K~

---

Request for Question Clarification by knowledge_seeker-ga on 04 Jun 2003 12:58 PDT

Sorry about that link .. try again here ...or just copy and paste it
into your browser. Be sure to include up to the jpg.

http://www.hostcorps.com/imagehost/u/researchers/KS/small%20deer.jpg

-K~

---

Clarification of Question by tabaddon-ga on 04 Jun 2003 13:25 PDT

Bobbie, that one is sure interesting, but if it had the 'flaps', it
would certainly be mentioned.  I don't think it was that small.  I
have heard of other barking deer (even found a WAV file somewhere
before giving up the search myself), but I don't remember that being a
characteristic of the one I'm looking for.

Seeker, I think that's my guy!  If your source material includes
photos of the gland 'open', I'll take it!  :)

Ok tabaddon-ga,

Here you go!

The "deer" you are referring to is a Duiker, which is actually the
common name for several species of small to medium-sized antelope that
live in shrub lands and forests of central and southern Africa.
Duikers are divided into two groups: forest duikers and bush duikers.
The bush duiker is more slender, with larger ears, than the forest
duiker.

Male duikers have straight or slightly curved spike-like horns that
lie so flat against the head that they are not too useful in fighting.
Horns are usually absent in females. The largest duikers stand
approximately 34 in. at the shoulder; the legs are short, the back
arched, and the hooves pointed. They eat a wide range of vegetation
(grasses, flowers, mushrooms, fruit, and leaves) as well as carrion or
small birds. They are considered game animals and they are hunted for
their meat.

Duikers are shy and so are rarely seen; usually they travel alone or
in pairs and are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk). The name
"Duiker" is Africaans for “diving buck”. They dive for cover with head
down at any sign of danger.

Although all deer and antelope have facial glands under their eyes,
(also known as preorbital or maxillary glands), the duiker is known
for having the most obvious facial glands. These form a dark line down
its face and may show as a lump or "pocket." The scent gland is used
for marking territory. The red-flanked duiker's preorbital gland is
the largest of any duiker, which indicates very active marking
behavior.  In some species, the females mark their young with the
facial gland, possibly to facilitate recognition.

Here is some further information and photos --

================
PICTURES
================



DUIKER – CLOSE UP FACIAL GLAND - OPEN
http://www.szgdocent.org/ung/f-duik4.jpg


DUIKER – [ MORE CLOSE UP FACIAL PICTURES] 
http://www.szgdocent.org/ung/a-duik.htm


DUIKER – CLOSE-UP 
http://www.biodiversityscience.org/priority_outcomes/west_africa/gallery/animals-album/images/IMG0015_JPG.jpg

RED DUIKER – CLOSE UP
http://www.giftsfromafrica.co.za/images/image11.htm



DUIKER – FACIAL ANATOMY CHART
http://www.animalnation.com/Archive/Mammals/mamgifs/duiker.gif


DUIKER – BABIES  [CUTE!]
http://home.intekom.com/burla/BloubergConservationProject/intro-duiker.jpg


RED-FLANKED DUIKER
http://www.csew.com/antelopetag/Animal%20Fact%20Sheets/Red-flanked%20Duiker/Red_flanked_Duiker.htm


YOUNG DUIKER – FACIAL GLAND NOT FULLY FORMED
http://jasper1.stanford.edu/~cagan/duiker4.JPG


DUIKER – MOUNTED
http://www.procomp.co.za/afritax/duiker.jpg 


DUIKER 
http://www.accuratereloading.com/bduiker.jpg


=================
ARTICLES 
=================


RED FLANKED DUIKER
http://www.zooregon.org/Cards/Rainforest/red.flanked.duiker.htm


WILD LIVES – AFRICAN ANIMALS – DUIKER
http://www.awf.org/wildlives/68


MAXWELL'S DUIKER 
http://www.ultimateungulate.com/duikermax.html


For the taxonomy of the duiker and the complete list of all species,
go to the below link and type Cephalophinae in the search box.

Taxonomy – Duiker 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi



So that should solve the mystery of your animal. This has been a
really fun search. Thanks so much for your question!

-K~

search terms –

I suspected your "deer" might, in fact, have been an antelope, and I
knew about the facial glands of deer and antelope, so I searched for
combinations of the terms:

Antelope / Deer 
Scent gland
Facial gland
Preorbital gland
Maxillary gland

---

Request for Answer Clarification by tabaddon-ga on 04 Jun 2003 19:29 PDT

KS,

Not really a clarification request, but a big thanks!  My search terms
were way off, as I didn't remember it as a gland so much - I couldn't
remember what their function was.

I really appreciate the depth of information you found, and your
article and links go above and beyond.  You gave me more than I'd
hoped for.  Thanks!

And you're right - those babies ARE cute!  :)

Thanks again,
- tabaddon

---

Clarification of Answer by knowledge_seeker-ga on 05 Jun 2003 07:09 PDT

Wow tabaddon, 

Thank you so much for the rave review and the nice tip! I'm glad we
sorted out the identity of your deer.  Hope to see you around Google
Answers again in the future.

-K~

Isn't there a 10-star option?

Awesome 'answer' - really more of an article and database.  KS is a
first-rate researcher, and provided a lot of info in under 24 hours,
on a subject I thought didn't have much documentation - boy was I
wrong!  Thanks, KS!  :)