Overview
The Silver-backed Chevrotain (Tragulus versicolor), also affectionately known as the Vietnam mouse-deer, is one of the most enigmatic and secretive ungulates on Earth. Standing barely ten inches tall and weighing less than five pounds, this diminutive creature was feared extinct for nearly three decades before being dramatically rediscovered by camera traps in 2019 in the rugged coastal dry forests of southeastern Vietnam. Neither a true deer nor a rodent, it represents an ancient lineage of primitive ruminants that split from other hoofed mammals tens of millions of years ago.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Tragulus versicolor is characterized by its remarkable bicolored pelage. While its anterior shoulders, neck, and forelimbs exhibit a warm, agouti reddish-ochre, the posterior half of its body is cloaked in a contrasting silvery-grey sheen interspersed with dark flecks. Like all chevrotains, it lacks horns and antlers; instead, mature males possess elongated, dagger-like canine tusks that protrude beneath their upper lips, used in aggressive sparring disputes over territory. Its legs are extraordinarily slender, terminating in two functional hooves that tip-toe delicately over thorny scrub terrain.
Behavior and Ecology
Solitary and crepuscular, the Silver-backed Chevrotain moves silently through dense undergrowth, foraging primarily for fallen forest fruits, fleshy figs, and succulent young leaves. It relies on its compact body and camouflage to evade apex predators such as dholes and clouded leopards, freezing motionless at the earliest sign of danger before darting through intricate runs beneath impenetrable thorny vines. Little is known of its social reproduction, but females are believed to maintain solitary home ranges and produce single precocial fawns after a five-month gestation.
Conservation and Human Impact
The IUCN assesses Tragulus versicolor as Critically Endangered due to its highly restricted geographic range and relentless pressure from indiscriminate wire snares set by poachers. The illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia has swept dry forest habitats with millions of wire snares that indiscriminately catch ground-dwelling wildlife. Recent conservation efforts led by local forestry rangers and international wildlife trusts are working to establish protected corridors, dismantle snaring grids, and deploy ecological monitoring networks across Khanh Hoa province.
Interesting Factoid
After going completely unrecorded by scientists for over 28 years, the Silver-backed Chevrotain was rediscovered in 2019 after researchers placed camera traps based on precise clues provided by local Vietnamese village elders.
Last updated: October 2026