Fanged Deer

Tufted Deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) are named for the tuft of reddish hair that grows on their foreheads. Males have tiny antlers that barely poke through this tuft. They’re small for deer standards, only reaching 50-70 cm in height.

What they lack in size they make up for in demeanor. These are solitary animals (although they occasionally travel in pairs) that travel in fixed routes throughout their territory which is fiercely defended by males. A very noticeable feature of these deer are their large, fang-like canines and in males these can get to be up to 2.6 cm long. While other species of deer will use their antlers to defend their territory and win females, the tufted deer uses its canines to fight and defend itself instead.

When feeling threatened, the tufted deer will let out a loud bark before running away in a wild pattern that makes it difficult for a predator to follow it.