Musk deer's scientific name is Muskiferus. This animal is found in Central and North-East Asia, in Nepal and in Kashmir, Sikkim in India.
• Musk deer live in dense forests of bhurj trees.
• Musk deer is about one meter long. The thick, coarse and long hair on the body protects them from the cold.
• This animal has no horns.
• The importance of the musk deer is due to the musk it provides. A brownish waxy discharge collects in a sac from a gland under the skin of the abdomen near the navel of a male of three years of age or older.
• Musk deer live alone or in pairs. Their food is grass, moss or young shoots. They go out in the morning to get it. They stay in one place for a long time. They deliberately excrement at the border of the area where they roam. If chased, the animal takes shelter in rocky outcrops where predators cannot reach. He is threatened by animals like tigers, bears and wolves.
• Male and female mate between November and January. After a gestation period of 160 days, the female gives birth to one (rarely two) pups. He has spots on his body. After one year it transforms into an adult.
• It smells like urine when fresh. But when it dries, it smells. This is the musk.
• About 28 grams of musk is obtained from one male. Musk is used in perfumes.