Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain

Moschiola meminna is a species of even-toed ungulate in the chevrotain family (Tragulidae). Particularly in the old literature, M. meminna often refers to the spotted chevrotains as a whole. Today, the name is increasingly restricted to the Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain or white-spotted chevrotain, with the Indian spotted chevrotain M. indica[1] and/or the yellow-striped chevrotain M. kathygre treated as distinct species.

Moschiola meminna redirects here. Before the 21st century, this usually referred to any species of Moschiola.

Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain
Sri Lanka spotted chevrotain at Field Museum, mounted specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Tragulidae
Genus: Moschiola
Species:
M. meminna
Binomial name
Moschiola meminna
(Erxleben, 1777)
Synonyms

Moschus meminna Erxleben, 1777
Tragulus meminna (Erxleben, 1777)

In Sri Lanka, this species is found in the dry zone and is replaced in the wet zone by the yellow-striped chevrotain.[2]

Description

Head and body length in the species typically is 55–60 cm. It is dull brown in color with three or four dotted white stripes going longitudinally along flank.

References
  1. Duckworth, J.W.; Timmins, R. (2015). "Moschiola meminna". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T41779A73575223. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T41779A73575223.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Groves, C. & Meijaard, E. (2005) Intraspecific variation in Moschiola, the Indian Chevrotain. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Supplement 12:413-421 PDF Archived 2008-07-27 at the Wayback Machine


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