Information about Central Asian Red Deer

The Central Asian Red Deer a primordial group of Red deer subspecies, which live primarily in Asia east of the Caspian Sea and south of Mongolia.

Recent DNA studies conducted on hundreds samples from Red Deer and Elk subspecies determined that Red deer and Elk (Wapiti) represent two distinct species. The central asiatic red deer form a basal group, which is more related to the Western Red deer than to the other monophyletic group, composed of Wapiti, Sika deer and Thorold's deer^[1]

Description

There are subtle differences in appearance between the subspecies of Central Asian Red Deer primarily in size and coat. Bactrian deer and Yarkand deer have large rump patches (reminiscent of Wapitis). In contrast to the Yarkand Deer, which has a light sandy coat, the Bactrian Deer has a darker, grayish-brown coat pattern with darker legs, head, and neck (most noticeable in males) that resembles the coat of the American Elk or Wapitis, which is why this subspecies is sometimes called the Bactrian Wapiti. These deer do not have neck manes, but do have stronger and thicker neck muscles than female deer that may give the appearance of a neck mane. Female deer are slightly smaller than male deer, but the difference in size is not as pronounced as it is in the European Red Deer subspecies. Male highland deer such as Kashmir stags, Tibetan red deer, and MacNeill's deer (Sichuan deer) have small rump patches and short neck manes. In the case of MacNeill's deer, female deer do develop short neck manes as well.

All subspecies have short tails similar to the short tails of Wapitis. Central Asian Red deer calves are generally born spotted much like European Red Deer calves, and most individuals lose their spots by adulthood. However, adult Bactrian Deer and Kashmir Stag may possess a few spots on the backs of their summer coats. This phenomenon has also been observed in summer coats of the distantly related Manchurian Wapiti (Cervus canadensis xanthopygus) and many other subspecies of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus).

Rutting calls of Central Asian Red Deer are primitive but tend to resemble the bugles of Wapitis more so than the roaring of the European Red Deer. For example, the Kashmir stag's mating call starts out with a roar like a European Red Deer but ends more like a bugle of an American Elk.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Lowland Deer: The Bactrian deer (Cervus wallichi bactrianus) and Yarkand deer (Cervus wallichi yarkandensis) both live in lowland riparian corridors of mixed deciduous (willow/poplar) vegetation surrounded by deserts. The Bactrian Deer, also known as Bukhara Deer or Bactrian Wapiti, lives in Russian Turkestan (West Turkestan) and adjacent areas in Northern Afghanistan to the west of the Tianshan Mountains. The Yarkand Deer, also known as Tarim Deer or Lop Nor Stag, lives in the Tarim Basin Deciduous Forests and Steppe Ecoregion in the Tarim Basin of China's Xinjiang Province (East Turkestan). The Bactrian and Yarkand Deer which are dependent on the lowland riparian corridors for food and shelter do not migrate but may disperse into adjacent desert areas at night or at times of cooler temperatures.

Highland Deer: The Kashmir stag (Cervus wallichi hanglu), also known as Hangul, lives in the mixed deciduous and coniferous forests that grow on the mountain slopes and valleys of Kashmir at the western end of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan Mountain System. The Kashmir stag tends to migrate between higher and lower elevations following the melting snows to higher altitudes in the spring and return to lower elevations for the winter months. The Tibetan red deer (or shou) and MacNeill's deer (or Sichuan deer) live in the eastern end of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan red deer lives in mountainous steppe in the southern Tibet and adjacent areas in Bhutan. The MacNeill's deer lives on steep slopes blanketed with willow and rhodedendron thickets in Eastern Tibet, and adjacent mountainous areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, and Gansu Provinces in Western China.^[2]

Subspecies

Subspecies	Classification	Status	Historic Range
Bactrian Deer	Cervus elaphus bactrianus	Vulnerable (D1)	Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
Kashmir Stag	Cervus elaphus hanglu	Endangered (D)	Kashmir Region (Indian, Pakistan)
Yarkand Deer	Cervus elaphus yarkandensis	Endangered (A1a)	Xinjiang Province (China)

Predators

Aside from man, the Wolf is probably the most dangerous of predators that most Central Asian Red Deer encounter. Occasionally, the Brown bear and Asiatic black bear will prey on these deer as well. Other possible predators are dholes and snow leopards. Eurasian Lynx and wild boars sometimes prey on the calves. In the past they were also hunted by the now extinct Caspian tiger.

See also

• Red Deer - European Red Deer
• East European red deer - a subspecies of European Red Deer
• Elk - East Asian/North American Elk/Wapiti
• Sika Deer
• Thorold's Deer

References cited