This is a featured photo of the month. I will try and update this monthly with a favorite photo.
Common Name: Red Muntjac
Scientific Name: Muntiacus vaginalis
Date Taken: August 30, 2013
Location: Phukhieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand
Photographer: Howard Cunningham
Widely known in Thailand as the barking deer, it is a small, ancient deer species that thrives across the Kingdom's tropical rainforests, deciduous woodlands, and dense forest edges. Thailand acts as a major zoogeographical hub for this mammal, splitting into two distinct lineages at the Isthmus of Kra: the northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis) to the north and the southern red muntjac (M. muntjak) to the south. These uniquely adaptable, solitary animals are surprisingly omnivorous, foraging the forest understory for a diverse diet of grasses, fallen fruits, shoots, seeds, bird eggs, and even carrion. They are best recognized by their dog-like, resonant alarm "barks" triggered by predators like tigers and leopards. Though they breed year-round and remain relatively widespread in protected areas like Khao Yai National Park and Khao Sok National Parks, they face ongoing pressure from habitat fragmentation and illegal hunting.
