About the Mouse Deer (Indian Chevrotain)
The Indian mouse deer — or Indian chevrotain — is the world's smallest hoofed mammal, a dainty, spotted creature no larger than a house cat that inhabits the dense undergrowth of India's rainforests and moist forests. Found primarily in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, it belongs to the family Tragulidae — the most primitive of all living ruminants, essentially unchanged for 30 million years.
Mouse deer are solitary and primarily nocturnal, spending their days hidden in dense thickets and emerging at night to feed on fallen fruits, leaves, and fungi. Despite their diminutive size they have small tusks (elongated upper canines) used in territorial disputes and predator defence. They lack the antlers of true deer but retain tusks as a relic of their ancient lineage. The Western Ghats rainforests — particularly around Agumbe, Silent Valley, and Nagarahole — are the best places to see them on night drives.