Knowra Chevrotain Chevrotain A chevrotain is a small, hoofed ruminant in the family Tragulidae, also called a mouse-deer. It is the smallest living hoofed mammal and lacks antlers.
Tragulidae : A family of small, primitive ruminant mammals known as chevrotains or mouse-deer. This family contains every living chevrotain species.
Lesser mouse-deer : A small Southeast Asian chevrotain, Tragulus kanchil, found in forests and dense vegetation. It is one of the smallest living hoofed mammals and a familiar example of the group.
Foregut fermentation : Microbial digestion of food in stomach chambers located before the small intestine. Chevrotains ferment plant food in the foregut, as other ruminants do.
Ruminantia : A mammalian group comprising living ruminants and their extinct relatives. Chevrotains represent an early-diverging living branch of this group.
Camera trap : A remotely triggered camera that records animals when they pass a sensor. Camera traps have documented elusive chevrotains, including the silver-backed chevrotain.
Ruminant : A mammal that digests plant food through microbial fermentation in a specialized stomach, often by regurgitating and rechewing cud. Chevrotains are ruminants despite their small size and unusual stomach anatomy.
Greater mouse-deer : A Southeast Asian chevrotain, Tragulus napu, larger than the lesser mouse-deer. Its size and regional range illustrate variation within the genus Tragulus.
Selective feeding : Choosing particular food items from a mixed supply rather than consuming them indiscriminately. Chevrotains browse selectively on leaves, shoots, fruits, and other plant material.
Archaeomeryx : An extinct early ruminant known from Eocene deposits in Asia. Its fossils help document the early evolutionary history of ruminants related to chevrotains.
Bushmeat : Wild animals hunted for food, especially in tropical regions. Chevrotains are hunted for meat in parts of their range.
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