Northern red muntjac

The Northern red muntjac (Muntiacus vaginalis)^[1][2] is a species of muntjac. It is found in numerous countries of south-central and southeast Asia.^[1]

Northern red muntjac
Northern red muntjac (♀) pictured in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, July 2015
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Genus:	Muntiacus
Species:	M. vaginalis
Binomial name
Muntiacus vaginalis (Boddaert, 1785)
Range of the northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis) and the southern red muntjac (M. muntjak)

Taxonomy

It was recently found distinct from the southern red muntjac (previously typically known as Indian muntjac) and includes all the population previously attributed to M. muntjak that are outside of Sunda and perhaps of Malaysia.^[1]

The subspecies bancanus, montanus, muntjak, nainggolani, peninsulae, pleiharicus, robinsoni, and rubidus stay in the southern red muntjac (M. muntjak), while annamensis, aureus, curvostylis, grandicornis, and nigripes are now attributed to the northern red muntjac (M. vaginalis).^[3]

Distribution

The northern red muntjac occurs in twelve countries of south-central and south-east Asia including Pakistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.^[1]

It is also present in Hong Kong. Its presence in Malaysia is uncertain.^[1]

Muntjac at Tadoba National Park, India

Conservation

It is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN due to its large distribution, presence in protected areas and resilience to hunting and habitat change.^[1]

Due to the degradation of habitat and hunting for their body parts and meat, muntjac populations are drastically decreasing throughout their range.^[4]