Thewhite-lippeddeerislarge,andcanweighanywherebetween130and200kg.Ithasabodylengthof100to210cmandashoulderheightof120to130cm.Thedeerhastheshortesttailamongalllargedeer,measuring10to15cm.Alsodubbedthewhite-noseddeer,thespeciesgetsitsnamebecauseofthepurewhitepatchesonitslowerlips,stretchingtotheupperthroatandsidesofthemouth.
Thewhite-lippeddeerischaracterizedbyatriangularshapedhead,broadandflatforehead,longpointedearsandprominenteyes.Maledeerhavebroadflatantlerswhichgrowandfalloffannually,andareregardedasvaluableintraditionalChinesemedicine.Becauseoftheirbroadantlerstheyarealsoknownasflat-antlerdeer.
Thedeerhasalongneckandpaleyellowpatchesonthebuttocks.Inwinter,theirhairbecomesdarkbrownwithsmall,lightmaroonpatches,leadingtosomecallingthemreddeer.Insummer,thehairbecomesevendarker,likeyellowishbrownwithlightyellowabdomenandyellowpatchesonthebuttocksaroundthetail.Therefore,theyarealsocalledyellow-hippeddeer.
Thedeerhasasensitivenoseandearsalongwiththeabilitytoclimbbarerockcliffs.Themaledeerhaslargeandbroadhooveswhilethefemaledeerhasnarrowerones.Whilewalkingtheymakeaclickingsoundthatcomesfromtheirankles,whichmaybesignalsforcommunication.Theyarealsoabletoswimacrosswideandturbulentrivers.
Theirhabitat,intheforests,shrubs,andmeadowsat3,500to5,000metersabovesealevel,featurescoldweatherwithdeepsnowfromNovembertoApril.Preferringtosticktoforestedgesandglades,thetypicalalpinespecieshasthickhardhairovertheirbodywhichishollowtopreserveheatduringseverecoldspells,whilethebristlesontheshouldersofthemaledeergrowinthereversedirection,lookinglikeawrinkledcollar.
Theelegantdeergenerallywandersinherdsrangingfromthreetofivemembers,upto100to200basedondifferentseasonsorhabitats.Inthecaseofsearchingforfoodorwater,orwhenbeinghunted,theywillmigrateasfaras100to200kmandclimbuptoanaltitudeof5,000meters,ormovetoislandsinthelakeareas,wetlandsorgrasslands.Iffrightened,thestagsruntowardhigherplaces,whereasthehindsescapetolowerregions.
Thedeerspendsmostofthesummerathighaltitudeandmigratestoshrubbymeadowsatloweraltitudeinwintertoavoidthesnow.Itsdietismadeupmostlyofgrasses,buttheyalsoeatthebuds,leaves,twigs,andbarkoftrees.Theyusuallyfeedinthemorningandatduskanddevelopahabitoflickingsaltinthesoilandlakewaterespeciallyinspringandsummer.
AnAncientSpeciesOriginatingfromtheHimalayas
Nearly80percentoftheTibetanPlateausteppeprovidespasturesforyaks,sheep,andgoats.Thewhitelippeddeerhavetoretreattotheremaining20percentofthepasture.Althoughtheyareprotectedandregardedassacredbylocalpeople,thepopulationisdecliningduetoshrinkinglivingspaceandfragmentation.
ThedeerbreedsonceayearwiththematingseasonfromSeptembertoNovember.Matingseasonischaracterizedbyfightingadultmaleswhobreaktheirantlersfrequentlyinthehuntformates.Femalesgivebirthtoonefawn,occasionallytwo,aroundnextMaytoJulyafterapregnancyofeightmonths.Thenewbornfawnsarecoveredwithpatcheswhichdisappearinonemonthandbeginfeedingongrassatonemonthold.Thefawnsgetsexuallymatureatthree,whilethestagsusuallyfightformatesafterfive.Thebirthrateofthespeciesislow.Wildwhite-lippeddeergenerallyliveto12years,whilethoseincaptivitycansurviveupto21years.
Thedeerisanancientspecies.TheirfossilshavebeenfoundinthestratadatingbacktothelatePleistoceneperiod.TheyusedtobeendemictothecentralregionoftheHimalayas.TheformationoftheHimalayasinthelateTertiaryandearlyQuaternaryperiodsresultedinsharpupliftofthegroundaroundtheTibetanPlateauandthedisappearingofforests.Consequently,thehabitatofthewhite-lippeddeershranktotheeast.
Asthehabitatofthedeerwasinaccessible,thereisnowrittenrecordofthespeciesinChinesehistory.In1883,RussiangeographerNikolayMikhaylovichPrzhevalskyobtainedthefirstspecimensofthewhite-lippeddeerinnorthernGansuProvince,attractingbiologists鈥檃ttentiontothisspecies.In1893,EnglishgeologistandnaturalistWilliamThomasBlanfordobservedthewhite-lippeddeerduringafieldtripinTibetandnameditThorold鈥檚deer.Afterthat,thespecieswasreportedlyobservedbyGermanandAmericanbiologistsin1938and1939respectively.Theseearlyfindingsprovidefragmentedinformationonthegeographicallocationofthewhite-lippeddeer.
Bytheendofthe1990s,therewereabout15,800white-lippeddeerinChina.Currently,theymainlyliveinSichuan,Qinghai,andTibetwithapopulationofaround7,000.Amongthem,1,500to2,000areinShiquCounty,200inDegeCounty,and3,000inBaiyuCountyofSichuanProvince.InTibetAutonomousRegion,itisestimatedthatthereare134inJomdaCounty,and300inNyingchi,aprefecture-levelcity.Mostofthemaresemi-captive.Thereareveryfewwildwhite-lippeddeer.
Therarewhite-lippeddeerisofuniquesignificance.AlthoughChinahaslearnedhowtobreedthespeciesandtheycanbeseeninmanydomesticzoos,todateithasonlygivenapairoftherarespeciestoSriLankaandNepalasgifts.
JIANGFUMEIisafreelancerinBeijing.