Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Video Archive Almanac
About Feedback Privacy Policy
About Feedback Privacy Policy
Search
Trending
Julie Ertz
LeBron James
Meteor shower
Cop charged
Presidents Cup
Ford recall
William Barr
NYC stabbing
Winter storm
Taylor Swift
Supreme Court
Science News
Nov. 12, 2019 / 12:01 PM

Deer-like species found in Vietnam after 30-year absence

By
Brooks Hays
The silver-backed chevrotain, sometimes called the Vietnamese mouse-deer, is neither a mouse nor a deer. It is the world's smallest ungulate. Photo by Southern Institute of Ecology/Global Wildlife Conservation/Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research/NCNP
The silver-backed chevrotain, sometimes called the Vietnamese mouse-deer, is neither a mouse nor a deer. It is the world's smallest ungulate. Photo by Southern Institute of Ecology/Global Wildlife Conservation/Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research/NCNP

Nov. 12 (UPI) -- With the help of camera traps, researchers have rediscovered a deer-like species called the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam. The species, Tragulus versicolor, sometimes called the Vietnamese mouse-deer, hadn't been seen since the 1990s.

Scientists with Global Wildlife Conservation, the Southern Institute of Ecology and Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research announced the species' rediscovery this week in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

"For so long this species has seemingly only existed as part of our imagination," An Nguyen, associate conservation scientist for GWC, said in a news release. "Discovering that it is, indeed, still out there, is the first step in ensuring we don't lose it again, and we're moving quickly now to figure out how best to protect it."

The rabbit-sized ungulate species was first described in 1910 after four specimens were collected from southern Vietnam. Another specimen was found in 1990.

RELATED Wild dog control efforts are killing dingoes in Australia

After forest rangers and local villagers reported seeing a gray chevrotain -- distinct from the brown-colored lesser mouse-deer, or kanchil -- a team of researchers led by Nguyen set up a series of camera traps in southern Vietnam.

Their cameras captured 275 photos of the species over five months. When researchers expanded the constellation of cameras, they captured another 1,881 photographs of the silver-backed chevrotain over five months.

"The rediscovery of the silver-backed chevrotain provides big hope for the conservation of biodiversity, especially threatened species, in Vietnam," said Hoang Minh Duc, head of the Southern Institute of Ecology's Department of Zoology. "This also encourages us, together with relevant and international partners, to devote time and effort to further investigation and conservation of Vietnam's biodiversity heritage."

RELATED New species drawn to restored pine savanna patches in South Carolina

Chevrotains are the planet's smallest hoofed animals, or ungulates. While most of the 10 known species of chevrotain cross international borders, mostly in Asia, the silver-backed chevrotain has only been observed in Vietnam.

Chevrotains are one of several groups of animals threatened by deforestation and illegal hunting. In the Annamese Mountains, a small range that stretches across Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, an indiscriminate hunting technique using homemade wire snares has led to what's called "empty forest syndrome."

Scientists hope the rediscovery of the silver-backed chevrotain will inspire renewed conservation efforts in the region. Researchers are currently conducting a survey of the Annamite Range to determine the size and scope of the silver-backed chevrotain population.

RELATED Biologists discover 11 new rain frog species in the Andes

"It is an amazing feat to go from complete lack of knowledge of the wildlife of the Greater Annamites 25 years ago, to now having this question mark of the silver-backed chevrotain resolved," said Barney Long, GWC senior director of species conservation. "But the work is only beginning with the rediscovery and initial protection measures that have been put in place -- now we need to identify not just a few individuals on camera trap, but one or two sites with sizable populations so that we can actually protect and restore the species."

Latest Headlines

Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Science News // 10 hours ago
Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- As the year nears its close, many people are already looking ahead to 2020, but stargazers remain focused on 2019 as one of the year's top meteor showers is about to put on a dazzling display in the night sky.

Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Science News // 17 hours ago
Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Dec. 13 (UPI) -- New research suggests Canada's northernmost islands were once covered in thick forest.

Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Science News // 1 day ago
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Scientists have successfully mapped the topography of the land beneath Antarctica's ice sheet at high resolution by combining radar observations with ice volume and flow velocity data.

Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Science News // 1 day ago
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- New research suggests patches of snow -- increasingly rare sources of A/C -- are the only places where mountain goats in Montana's Glacier National Park can successfully slow their respiration during heat spells.

Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species
Science News // 1 day ago
Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Researchers in Australia have developed a new genetic analysis method capable of predicting the lifespan of vertebrate species.

Dark matter may explain mysterious gamma ray source at center of Milky Way
Science News // 1 day ago
Dark matter may explain mysterious gamma ray source at center of Milky Way
Dec. 12 (UPI) -- New analysis by astrophysicists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggests dark matter could explain a mysterious source of gamma rays in the center of the Milky Way.

World's oldest figurative cave painting depicts ancient hunting scene
Science News // 2 days ago
World's oldest figurative cave painting depicts ancient hunting scene
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The discovery of an ancient cave painting on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has pushed the origins of figurative cave painting back further than ever before.

Africa's tropics account for a third of rise in methane emissions
Science News // 2 days ago
Africa's tropics account for a third of rise in methane emissions
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Methane emissions are on the rise, and new satellite data suggests Africa's tropics are responsible for at least a third of the recent increase.

Underground fiber-optic cables help scientists record thunderquakes
Science News // 2 days ago
Underground fiber-optic cables help scientists record thunderquakes
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Loud thunderclaps can cause the ground to shake. The quakes are too subtle for humans to feel, but new research showed fiber optic cables can detect the thunderquakes.

Household dust hosts toxic chemicals from LCD screens
Science News // 2 days ago
Household dust hosts toxic chemicals from LCD screens
Dec. 11 (UPI) -- New research suggests liquid crystal monomers contain a variety of toxic chemicals, which tests showed can leach into everyday environs.

Trending Stories

Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Geminid meteor shower underway, set to reach climax Friday night
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Map reveals land beneath Antarctic ice sheet in unprecedented detail
Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Canadian tundra was once covered in thick forest
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Mountain goats in Glacier National Park running out of A/C
Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species
Genetic analysis accurately predicts lifespan of vertebrate species

Photo Gallery

 
Adam Sandler, The Weeknd attend premiere of 'Uncut Gems' in LA
Adam Sandler, The Weeknd attend premiere of 'Uncut Gems' in LA

Latest News

Philadelphia Flyers' Oskar Lindblom, 23, diagnosed with rare bone cancer
Miami Dolphins sign WR DeVante Parker to four-year extension
New York Giants waive CB Janoris Jenkins after derogatory tweet at fan
Arizona Cardinals release Pro Bowl LB Terrell Suggs
BAE Systems awarded $249.2 million modification for self-propelled Howitzers
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy