Unknown Ungulates

What is an ungulate? Well, you probably know many ungulates. The word refers to hoofed animals, so horses, donkeys, camels, giraffes, hippopotamus, rhinoceroses, sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, etc. Click through the slideshow below to see some of our favorites (yes, William is not a living hippo, but he's super cute and pretty famous!)

A definition of an ungulate is simply a hoofed mammal and there are different groupings of ungulates. Recently I have noticed some of the lesser known (and extremely adorable) ungulates and wanted to learn more, and of course share what I learned with you! We did a lot of research and as always, the more I learned, the more I wanted to know - I hope that's true for you too!!!! I'm a little late though, June 4th is International Ungulate Awareness Day!

Image from Peppermint Narwhal Creative

Pudu

The first time I met a pudu, I hadn't ever heard of this adorable ungulate! At the Queens Zoo, I was lucky enough to see a pudu baby (photo below) and its parents. Pudu are tiny South American deer. There are two species and these cute little herbivores captured my heart. The Queens Zoo has successfully been breeding pudu for over ten years. Pudu are endangered and unlike most deer who thrive in herds, pudu are solitary, except for breeding.

A young Sir Douglas. Photo courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Tufted Deer

Are they vampire deer? Well, males have little fangs (as do some muntjacs and other species) but tufted deer are herbivores and pretty cute. There are four subspecies and they are mostly solitary; quiet forest dwellers of Tibet and China. Tufted deer make interesting noises including barks (as many deer do), but also clicks! They are comfortable with other species and have been known to share habitats (in zoos or nature) with red pandas, takin, and black-necked cranes.

Reeve's Muntjac

When I was visiting the Prospect Park Zoo (also part of WCS), in the aviary, there is an ungulate friend. The Reeve's Muntjac! At first we didn't see it; the birds were present and we saw a sign for "Chinese Muntjac". As we waited, patiently, a small deer crept out of the corner and walked along the treeline. They are native to southeast China and Taiwan and thankfully aren't endangered. Also known as barking deer or rib-faced deer. I was attracted to their shyness. Many deer, for survival are fast and keep to treelines and shadows, but I felt lucky to see this sweet creature in person. We don't know why there is an ungulate in the aviary, but it's always sweet to see different species getting along!

Takin

Takin are the national animal of Bhutan, and are very special. Takin are huge, and yes, intimidating, but they are also quite beautiful. Both males and females have horns, and their massive size, quick speed (when necessary) and sharp hooves make them seem fierce. They are not particularly aggressive, but they do need their space! Baby takin are as adorable as every other ungulate baby that I have seen. Adult takin seem like they should be in a fairy tale, more than an Asian forest - they look magical to me. Thankfully, India, Bhutan and China all have laws protecting the takin, but is currently listed as vulnerable in the IUCN listing.

Pére David's Deer

Pére David's Deer were classified as extinct in the wild, but now, are thriving due to conservation efforts. A French missionary, Pére Armand David found the deer at a park in China and brought them to Europe. He recognized that it was a species of deer unknown to European science. The remaining deer in China were hunted nearly to extinction. Thankfully, there were enough in Europe that breeding programs flourished and in 1998, they were reintroduced to China. Nowadays, many zoos and conservation efforts keep breeding programs going and we were able to see some of these sweet deer at the Bronx Zoo. They love water and have distinctive body shapes - sibuxiang is the Chinese term, meaning four unlikes. They are described as having the antlers of a stag, tail of a donkey, feet of a cow and neck of a camel. I don't necessarily see all these parts, but I do like their unique features!

Tapirs (of course)

There is so much to say about my favorite animal, that I could write a whole post about tapirs. Oh wait, here it is! Tapirs need help and I worry that because they aren't as famous as jaguars or lions that they are overlooked! Tapirs have survived since the Eocene era - we need to save them and their habitats! If you are interested, these organizations are doing important tapir conservation work:

Tapir Specialist Group - https://tapirs.org/

Mountain Tapir Project - https://mountaintapir.com/ - Mountain Tapirs are also called Andean tapirs, and Wooly tapirs.

Markhor

I first met these remarkable ungulates thanks to the Columbus Zoo and their series, Secrets of the Zoo through which I have met and learned about many unique and wonderful animals.  With long cork-screw shaped horns, their amazing climbing ability makes this species stunning.  They are even the national animal of Pakistan.  See this video for their athletic ability, even as babies!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHX9qd2Afbk 

Chevrotain (Mouse Deer)

There are 10 kinds of mouse deer and they have many different names, including deer-pig, leaf-pile deer, little goat... But the family to which these cute animals belong extends back 34 million years! Today, if you are trying to determine what you see, look at the coat. Chevrotain is used to describe animals with pale-spotted or striped upper parts, while mouse deer is used for species that don't have these markings. Most mouse deer live alone, other than for breeding. We have been lucky enough to see adorable chevrotain (the lesser mouse deer or kanchil) at the Bronx Zoo. Mouse deer aren't deer and are more closely related to giraffes and antelope.

Java Lesser Mouse Deer

As the smallest ungulate in the world, a baby Java Lesser Mouse Deer is hard to spot in the wild, but we found the Warsaw Zoo's video and wanted to share it with you. Tiny is cute!

Warsaw Zoo

Chiru

I first learned about the chiru thanks to this picture book The Chiru of High Tibet: A True Story - Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrated by Linda Wingerter  that I discovered for my picture book blog post. They are so interesting and special that I wanted to learn more.

Some Chiru facts:

Also known as the Tibetan antelope, they live only on the Qinghai-Xizang plateau.

They have a very long migration; the females walk 200+ miles to a birthing area. The calves are little fluff balls who quickly stand, walk and then walk home with their mamas. They have very thick, wooly coats so they can survive the extreme cold of their habitat.

Thankfully, conservation efforts are helping the chiru herds. The Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve was established in 1997 to protect Chiru.

Vicuña

You may know of llamas and alpacas, but this ungulate might be less familiar, though no less charming. Native to Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina and Bolivia, they are the only hoofed animal with continuously growing lower teeth - similar to rodents! They are the smallest camelid in South America. Thankfully there are now conservation efforts so that their fur (which is highly prized) is only taken in sustainable, and we hope, compassionate ways. Bolivian singer Gonzalo Vargas has this beautiful song, Huari Vicuña about the Vicuña.

Joel Sartore, photographer

Dik-Dik - itty bitty antelopes - and they twitch their noses as if they are casting a magic spell.

Females are larger than males, and their name comes from the sound that fem

ales make when threatened. Whether in a zoo, or in the wild, dik-diks are incredibly cute.

Native to eastern and southern Africa, the four species of dik-dik are all remarkable.

For a list of other fun dik-dik facts by Mary Bates, click here.

Bongo

With a top speed of 43 miles per hour, these animals must be a sight to behold on the African plains. Bongo are really beautiful; antelopes with amazing horns (both male and female). They are a seemingly calm animal; conflict in the herd is rare. Bongo have a craving for salt and have been seen eating charred wood after a lightning strike, perhaps to get more salt? African Wildlife Foundation is working to find conservation solutions as the Eastern Bongo is critically endangered.

Of course, if you are interested in mythical creatures, as I am, there are many ungulate-like beings - unicorns, kelpies, Qilin, hippogriffs, and more... but that's another post, I guess.

As always, thanks for reading!