A small, secretive, and surprisingly tough little deer originally native to southern China and Taiwan—but now also found in places like England, where it has become firmly established in the wild. Don’t be fooled by its compact size (about as tall as a medium dog); this muntjac packs a ton of personality into its short legs and round frame, complete with tiny antlers, curved tusks, and a bark that sounds like a dog.

One of the most striking things about the Reeves’s muntjac is its appearance. Males have short, simple antlers that grow from long bony pedicles (stalks), but what really makes them stand out are their long, sharp upper canine teeth, or tusks, that curve downward from their mouths. These are used in fights with other males over territory or mates and are visible even when the mouth is closed—giving them a somewhat prehistoric, vampire-like look. Females don’t have antlers or tusks, but they still look adorably odd, with big round eyes and a slightly hunched posture that gives them a perpetual “caught-in-the-act” expression.

Reeves’s muntjacs are incredibly adaptable. In their native Asian forests, they thrive in dense underbrush and lowland woods, where they forage for leaves, shoots, fruits, and even mushrooms. But they’ve proven just as comfortable in the English countryside, especially in overgrown gardens, hedgerows, and suburban woodlands. They’re excellent at hiding and very hard to spot unless you’re listening carefully for their giveaway bark—or catch a flash of their white tail flicking as they dart into cover.

And yes, that bark is one of their quirkiest traits. When startled or sensing danger, a Reeves’s muntjac will emit a loud, sharp bark—a single or repeated “yap” that sounds startlingly similar to a small dog. This has earned them the nickname “barking deer.” It’s a form of alarm call, often repeated for several minutes, and it’s not uncommon for hikers or gardeners to hear it echoing from a thicket and mistake it for a hidden terrier.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

China

2016

France

Official estimate

EX

2016

Extinct locally, Introduced

Taiwan

2016

United Kingdom

2016

Introduced