Water deer - Wikipedia

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2024-10-21 00:30:02

The water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is a small deer species native to Korea and China. Its prominent tusks, similar to those of musk deer, have led to both subspecies being colloquially named vampire deer in English-speaking areas to which they have been imported. It was first described to the Western world by Robert Swinhoe in 1870.[ 2]

There are two subspecies: the Chinese water deer (H. i. inermis) and the Korean water deer (H. i. argyropus). The water deer is superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer; despite anatomical peculiarities, including a pair of prominent tusks (downward-pointing canine teeth) and its lack of antlers, it is classified as a cervid. Yet its unique anatomical characteristics have caused it to be classified in its own genus (Hydropotes) as well as historically its own subfamily (Hydropotinae).[ 3] However, studies of mitochondrial control region and cytochrome b DNA sequences placed it near Capreolus within an Old World section of the subfamily Capreolinae,[ 4] [ 5] and all later molecular analysis show that Hydropotes is a sister taxon of Capreolus.[ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10]

The genus name Hydropotes derives from the two ancient Greek words ὕδωρ (húdōr ), meaning "water", and πότης (potḗs ), meaning "drinker",[ 11] [ 12] and refers to the preference of this cervid for rivers and swamps.