Philippine brown deer

Description

Rusa marianna (also Cervus mariannus ) is a mammal that is part of the family deer.A large number of subspecies are described but some of these are controversial.Alfred's deer,previously counted on the species,is now an independent species.The deer of the Philippines ( Rusa marianna Desmarest,1822 ),also known as the sambar of the Philippines,is a vulnerable species of deer spread in the forests and prairies of almost all the major islands of the Philippines,although its range has become very fragmented due to of deforestation and hunting.The spotted deer of the Visayas and the deer of the Calamians are also native to the Philippines,but have more limited areas.The deer of the Philippines measures 100-151 cm in length,55-70 cm in height at the withers and weighs 40-60 kg;it is,therefore,one of the smallest representatives of the Cervini tribe.It generally has a dark brown coat,with the lower regions and lighter legs and only the lower part of the short tail (8-12 cm) white.Some specimens,including those that live on Mindanao,have,however,a grayish-yellow color.The antlers,present,as in almost all deer,only in males,are relatively small.