By Sheetal Kumari | June 05, 2025
These little animals resemble a combination of deer and mice—but they’re not!
(Image: Canva)
Chevrotains, also called mouse deer, are small hoofed mammals in Asian and African forests.
(Image: Canva)
Chevrotains may be small, but they belong to a very old family of living mammals, dating over 30 million years back.
(Image: Canva)
The smallest one weighs only 2 pounds—less than a pineapple! They’re typically no bigger than a pencil held upright.
(Image: Canva)
Chevrotains are shy, secretive creatures that creep quietly along thick vegetation and emerge largely at night.
(Image: Canva)
Males possess long, fang-like incisors for battling competitors—not for sucking blood!
(Image: Canva)
They tip-toe along, producing an elastic gait that makes them quiet travelers through the forest.
(Image: Canva)
Brown, dappled fur and lightning-fast reflexes make them disappear into cover in an instant when threatened.
(Image: Canva)
Because they are secretive and disappearing animals, chevrotains are seldom seen by humans in the wild.
(Image: Canva)
Chevrotains are important to forest ecosystems—and to us, as a reminder that even the smallest mammals are worth protecting.
(Image: Canva)