For all you Twilight fans, I named him, Edward.
Actually called a Siberian Musk Deer, vampire deer derive their nickname from the canine teeth, which project well below their lips. Unlike traditional vampires, musk deer do not feed on the blood of humans or other animals, but rather enjoy the leaves, flowers, and grasses in the hills where they live. Found mostly in Mongolia, China, North Korea, and South Korea; the population of musk deer has declined by 50% since the 1990's because of over-hunting. The musk collected from a male's musk gland is used in the production of soaps and perfumes, as well as, for other medicinal purposes.
From now on, I will worry my Korean-purchased soaps contain male vampire deer musk.
photo courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/68214226@N00/52381420
5 comments:
If they are herbivores, then why do they need such large, scary teeth??
A very valid question...
wow that's amazing
They have the large canines for protection, as they are descendants from the Palaeomerycidae, which is a distant ancestor of the deer. You can see a picture of a remake of the scarier ancestor on wikipedia, search "Musk Deer". I have made sure the information there is valid.
omg that is just amazing now i want one.
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