Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Family Cervidae Rank Subspecies | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Subfamily Cervinae | |
Similar Bactrian deer, Tibetan red deer, Barbary stag, Kashmir stag, Caspian red deer | ||
The Yarkand deer (Cervus elaphus yarkandensis) is a subspecies of Red Deer that is native to central Asia. It is similar in ecology to the Bactrian deer in occupying lowland riparian corridors surrounded by deserts. Both populations are isolated from one another by the Tian Shan Mountains and probably form a primordial subgroup of Red Deer.
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Description
This deer is light rufous in color with a large light-colored patch, including the tail. Its antlers usually have five tines with a terminal fork pointing forward. The fifth tine is usually larger than the fourth and is inclined inward.
Range and habitat
The Yarkand deer, also known as Tarim deer or Lop Nor stag, lives in the Tarim Basin Deciduous Forests and Steppe Ecoregion in the Tarim Basin of China's Xinjiang Province (East Turkestan). They are dependent on the lowland riparian corridors for food and shelter do not migrate but may disperse into adjacent desert areas at night or at times of cooler temperatures.