Jump to content

Yarkand deer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Altaileopard (talk | contribs) at 00:10, 28 February 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Yarkand Deer
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Species:
Subspecies:
C. e. yarkandenis
Trinomial name
Cervus elaphus yarkandenis

The Yarkand deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandenis) is a subspecies of Red Deer that is native to central Asia. It is similar in ecology to the Bactrian deer in occupying lowland riparian corridors surrounded by deserts. Both populations are isolated from one another by the Tianshan Mountains and probably form a primordial subgroup of Red Deer.

Description

This deer is light rufous in color with a large light-colored patch, including the tail. Its antlers usually have five tines with a terminal fork pointing forward. The fifth tine is usually larger than the fourth and is inclined inward.

Range and Habitat

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). They 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.