Chevrotains: Tragulidae

Chevrotains are found in Southeast Asia and east central Africa.

Asian chevrotains live in rainforests, lowland forests, mangrove forests, and thickets. They prefer areas with thick vegetation during the day and venture into open area at night. The vegetation provides refuge from predators. African chevrotains live in tropical rainforests and thick growth along water courses. This species escapes predators by diving into the water.

Chevrotains eat grasses and leaves, favoring young shoots, fallen fruits, and seeds. They have been seen eating small animals occasionally.

Regardless of where they live, chevrotains are hunted by native populations for food. Some people keep them as pets. Although some zoos have had success in breeding water chevrotains, these animals have proven difficult to breed in captivity.

All four species are threatened by hunting and habitat destruction. The water chevrotain is listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as Data Deficient, meaning there is not enough population information to evaluate its risk, and only one subspecies is Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.