Mammals · Artiodactyla · Tragulidae

Water Chevrotain

Hyemoschus aquaticus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The water chevrotain is the only African tragulid and the largest of the family. It is not a deer: the tragulids are the oldest surviving lineage of ruminants, and they keep very primitive features such as the absence of horns and elongated upper canines in the males. It is nocturnal, solitary and always close to water: when chased it throws itself into the river and can stay submerged for several minutes, moving along the bottom.

Weight

7 kg – 16 kg

Size

75 cm – 85 cm

Lifespan

13 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestFreshwaterHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Rainforest Freshwater Mammal

12countries 22parks1same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt hides underwater when chased, and represents a very primitive form of hoofed mammal.
When chased it submerges and walks along the river bed, breathing with only its snout out of the water: it can stay down for several minutes until the predator leaves.
The tragulids are the most primitive living ruminants: their lineage split about 35 million years ago and keeps features that deer and antelopes lost long ago, such as tusks instead of horns.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Moist forest beside rivers and streams, and gallery forest of West and Central Africa
Sexual maturity: 13.2 months
Gestation / incubation: 5.7 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.25 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyemoschus_aquaticus