A miniature “fanged” deer-like mammal long thought to be lost to time was recently rediscovered in Vietnam’s coastal forests.
The deer, called the silver-backed chevrotain, is about the size of a soccer ball, and is one of 10 known species of chevrotain in the world, which are primarily found in Asia. This particular species had not been seen since 1990, was recently rediscovered. Scientists who found the tiny deer published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday.
The discovery is significant as the silver-backed chevrotain was one of 25 other animals included on the Global Wildlife Conservation’s (GWC) list of most wanted lost species. This chevrotain is the first mammal on the list to be rediscovered.
“We had no idea what to expect, so I was surprised and overjoyed when we checked the camera traps and saw photographs of a chevrotain with silver flanks,” An Nguyen, associate conservation scientist for GWC and expedition team leader, said in a press release. “For so long this species has seemingly only existed as part of our imagination. 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 animal was first described in 1990 when four chevrotains were found in southern Vietnam. The animal wasn’t recorded again until 1990, when a Russian expedition found a fifth chevrotain. The GWC explained that little is known about the species or its conservation status, which makes it one of the highest mammal conservation priorities in the region.
To find the animal, researchers relied on claims from local villagers and government officials, who claimed to see a small gray chevrotain. Other species of chevrotain appear to be brown, but the silver-backed chevrotain is known for its, well, silver appearance.
A field team set up three camera traps and watched them for five months in the area locals claimed to have seen the chevrotain. The researchers were rewarded with 275 photographs of the chevrotain. Scientists then set up another 29 cameras in the area and collected another 1,881 photos over the next 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, in the GWC press release. “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.”
Photos and videos of the expedition and the chevrotain can be found here.
The GWC press release said researchers are now looking into how many of this chevrotain species are in the forests of Vietnam and how stable the population is to better understand what conservation efforts are needed. The GWC also reported that even though the chevrotain looks like a tiny deer and is nicknamed the “mouse-deer,” it is neither a mouse nor a deer. It is actually the world’s smallest ungulates, or hoofed mammals. They weigh less than 10 pounds, are shy, solitary mammals, and appear to walk on the tips of their tiny hooves. They also have two small fangs.
In January, another animal from the GWC’s list of most wanted lost species was discovered in Indonesia. Wallace’s Giant Bee was last seen in 1981, but rediscovered in 2019.