Muntiacus feae
Fea's muntjac

Fea's muntjacs are found in Thailand and the southernmost region of Myanmar that lies directly to the west of Thailand, known as Tenasserim. Some reports include Laos, Vietnam, and southern China as part of the former range of this species. ()

Fea's muntjacs are woodland dwellers, preferring moist sub-tropical forests. They live in evergreen forests as well as teak forests, and rarely leave dense vegetation to forage in fields. They are found at elevations of less than 1500 meters. ()

Fea's muntjacs, Muntiacus feae, are similar in size to Indian muntjacs, Muntiacus muntjak, which measures 57 cm at shoulder height. Unlike Indian muntjacs, in which males are taller than females, M. feae females are taller than males by 6 to 7 cm. The average weight of an adult M. feae is 22 kg. This small deer is uniformly brown in color with light stripes down the back of the legs and yellow hair at the crown of the head and around the pedicles. Tufts of hair on the forehead may be lighter in color. The relatively long tail is fringed with white hair. The elongated pedicles of males' antlers converge and each has a black line running up its center. The antlers are slightly longer than those of other barking deer (e.g. black muntjac Muntiacus crinifrons, which has antlers that do not exceed 60 mm in length). The long pedicles of muntjacs may be an adaptation to minimize the energy required to regrow antlers after they are shed, as the tropics are relatively nutrient-poor. Males have tusk-like canines that are 1 to 2 cm long. ()

Muntiacus feae, like other muntjacs, has a relatively short lifespan compared to other cervids. Few data are available on the longevity of M. feae, but one wild-born specimen lived to nearly 12 years of age in captivity. Given its rapid maturation and generalist tendencies, M. feae is assumed to fill a duiker-like role in ecosystems and would likely have a similar lifespan of a decade or less. ()

Muntiacus feae is solitary and nocturnal, and not much is known regarding its behavior in the wild. Males of other species of muntjac commonly spar by locking antlers to determine territorial boundaries and dominance, and may use their tusk-like canines as offensive weapons. In the wild, male Chinese muntjacs, Muntiacus reevesi, form loose social heirarchies, but the extent to which this occurs in M. feae is debatable. When startled, Fea's muntjacs will flee in a series of agile jumps along known trails. ()

Home Range

Males likely maintain territories that encompass those of several females, though little is known about territory size or home range. ()

Muntiacus feae individuals make barking noises when startled by predators, possibly to alert conspecifics to danger or to let the predator know it has been detected. During mating, Chinese muntjacs (Muntiacus reevesi) make clicking noises with their teeth. The primary mode of communication in M. feae is likely chemical, as it has frontal glands and can evert preorbital glands to mark territory. ()

Muntiacus feae, like other muntjacs, is a generalist omnivore, feeding on herbs and leaves, bark, mushrooms, fruits, and possibly even bird eggs, bird young, and small mammals. Muntiacus feae individuals tend to stick to densely wooded areas, preferring more digestible vegetation over grass. Their rumen has two blind sacs, and food is passed through the digestive system relatively quickly in comparison to grass-eating artiodactyls. Foraging occurs primarily at night; small mammals and birds may be killed with the hooves and tusk-like incisors. ()

Predators of these muntjacs include humans, tigers, leopards, dholes, wild dogs, and pythons, among others. Muntjac young may also be killed by wild boars. Muntiacus feae may bark to let a predator know it has been detected or to alert conspecifics to danger. Foraging at night in dense forest may provide some protection from predation. ()

Fea's muntjacs are important predators of plants and, possibly, small birds and mammals, in the ecosystems in which they live. Their grazing impacts vegetational community composition.

Muntiacus feae can cause damage to trees meant to be harvested as timber crops by eating their bark. Some reports indicate that muntjacs have taken snared game birds. ()

Fea's muntjaca, like other muntjacs, almost certainly provide meat and skins to the people that live within its range. ()

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed Muntiacus feae as endangered in 1979. The IUCN Red List formerly described M. feae as endangered, but changed its listing to 'data deficient' in 1996 due to a lack of information on population size and range. Fea's muntjacs are not listed in CITES Appendices. ()

Fea's muntjacs are closely related to black muntjacs, Muntiacus crinifrons. Fea's muntjacs have an unusually low chromosome number for a mammal (2n = 12 to 14), but a relatively high chromosome number for a muntjac. Genetic studies have shown that M. feae has undergone rapid chromosome evolution compared to other members of the genus Muntiacus, though the genus itself exhibits an elevated rate of change in chromosomal number relative to other mammals. ()