A pre-historic fanged deer marked in the extinct category was recently sighted in Vietnam, Southeast Asia. Also known as the mouse-deer, the chevrotain is the size of a domestic cat that has been depicted in centuries-old cave art.
The very rare species, officially known as Tragulus Versicolor, was first described in 1910, based on specimens obtained near the city of Nha Trang. The shy and solitary creatures weigh less than 10lbs, appear to walk on the tips of their hooves and have two tiny fangs. These are longer in males, leading researchers to believe they use them to compete for territory and mating partners.
Since 1990, this is the first time the species have been filmed and photographed. Before then a sighting hadn’t been seen since 1907. With the findings, the mouse-deer becomes the first mammal to be rediscovered on the Global Wildlife Conservation’s (GWC) list of the top 25 most wanted lost species.
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