Chevrotain

The word "chevrotain" comes from the Middle French word chevrot (kid or fawn), derived from chèvre (goat). The single African species is consistently known as "chevrotain". The names "chevrotain" and "mouse-deer" have been used interchangeably among the Asian species, though recent authorities typically have preferred chevrotain for the species in the genus Moschiola and mouse-deer for the species in the genus Tragulus. Consequently, all species with pale-spotted or -striped upper parts are known as "chevrotain" and without are known as "mouse-deer". The Telugu name for the Indian spotted chevrotain is jarini pandi, which literally means "a deer and a pig". The Tamil term is sarukumāṉ "leaf-pile deer". The Sinhala name roughly translates to "mouse-like deer". This was used in the scientific name of the Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain, M. meminna. ==Biology==

The family was widespread and successful from the Oligocene (34 million years ago) through the Miocene (about 5 million years ago), but has remained almost unchanged over that time and remains as an example of an archaic ruminant type. They have four-chambered stomachs to ferment tough plant foods, but the third chamber is poorly developed. Unlike other artiodactyls, they lack an carotid rete, and so cannot heat exchange cool blood entering their brains, a thermoregulatory innovation that allows other artiodactyls to exploit hot arid habitats. Though most species feed exclusively on plant material, the water chevrotain occasionally takes insects and crabs or scavenges meat and fish. Like other ruminants, they lack upper incisors. They give birth to only a single young. In other respects, however, they have primitive features, closer to nonruminants such as pigs. All species in the family lack antlers and horns, but both sexes have elongated canine teeth. These are especially prominent in males, where they project out on either side of the lower jaw, and are used in fights. They are solitary or live in pairs. ==Taxonomy==

Tragulidae's placement within Artiodactyla can be represented in the following cladogram: Traditionally, only four extant species were recognized in the family Tragulidae. In 2005, M. indica and M. kathygre were split from M. meminna. With these changes, the 10 extant species are: • Family Tragulidae • Genus Hyemoschus • Water chevrotain, Hyemoschus aquaticus • Genus Moschiola • Indian spotted chevrotain, Moschiola indica • Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain, Moschiola meminna • Yellow-striped chevrotain, Moschiola kathygre • Genus Tragulus • Java mouse-deer, Tragulus javanicus • Lesser mouse-deer or kanchil, Tragulus kanchil • Greater mouse-deer, Tragulus napu • Philippine mouse-deer, Tragulus nigricans • Vietnam mouse-deer, Tragulus versicolor • Williamson's mouse-deer, Tragulus williamsoni ==Extinct chevrotains==

. The Hypertragulidae were closely related to the Tragulidae. The six extinct chevrotain genera • Genus Dorcabune • Dorcabune anthracotherioides from Pakistan • Dorcabune nagrii from Pakistan • Genus Afrotragulus Sánchez, Quiralte, Morales and Pickford, 2010 • Afrotragulus moruorotensis (previously "Dorcatherium" moruorotensis Pickford, 2001) (early Miocene) from Moruorot, Kenya • Afrotragulus parvus (previously "D." parvus Withworth 1958) (early Miocene) from Rusinga Island, Kenya • Genus Siamotragulus • Siamotragulus sanyathanai Thomas, Ginsburg, Hintong and Suteethorn, 1990 (middle Miocene) from Lampang, Thailand • Siamotragulus haripounchai Mein and Ginsburg, 1997 (Miocene) from Lamphun, Thailand • Genus Yunnanotherium • Genus Archaeotragulus • Archaeotragulus krabiensis Metais, Chaimanee, Jaeger and Ducrocq, 2001 (late Eocene) from Krabi, Thailand The extinct chevrotains might also include • Genus Krabitherium • Krabitherium waileki Metais, Chaimanee, Jaeger and Ducrocq, 2007 (late Eocene) from Krabi, Thailand • Genus Nalameryx • Nalameryx savagei • Nalameryx sulaimani == Mythology ==

are two mouse-deer, alluding to the founding legend of Malacca. According to the Malay Annals, King Parameswara, seeking a place to found a new city, came to a place where he saw a mouse-deer (kancil in Malay) kicking his hunting dog into the river. He thought this boded well, remarking, "This place is excellent. Even the mouse deer is formidable. It is best that we establish a kingdom here". This became the Malacca Sultanate and Malacca its capital. In memory of this founding legend, the coat of arms of Malacca depicts two mouse-deer. The mouse-deer or Sang Kancil is also a well-known trickster of Malay folklore. ==Footnotes==