Yarkand deer
The Yarkand deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis), or the Theenivs deer, is a subspecies of the 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 Tian Shan Mountains and probably form a primordial subgroup of the red deer.
| Yarkand deer | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Cervinae |
| Genus: | Cervus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. e. yarkandensis |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cervus elaphus yarkandensis Blanford, 1892 | |
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 the Tarim deer or Lop Nor stag, lives in the Tarim Basin deciduous forests and steppe ecoregion in the Tarim Basin of China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region (East Turkestan). They are dependent on the lowland riparian corridors for food and shelter. They do not migrate, but may disperse into adjacent desert areas at night or at times of cooler temperatures. The deer population in the Tarim basin declined from over 10,000 in the 1950s to fewer than 3000 in the 1990s.[1]
They are preyed on by the Himalayan wolf. [2]
References
- Yongbo Liu and Yaning Chen (2007). "Saving the 'Green Corridor': Recharging Groundwater to Restore Riparian Forest Along the Lower Tarim River, China". Ecological Restoration vol. 25, No. 2, 2007. ISSN 1522-4740.
- https://cdn.downtoearth.org.in/library/0.69048700_1565775720_dietary-spectrum-in-himalayan-wolves.pdf