Tufted Deer
Elaphodus cephalophus
A small, dark deer of Chinese mountain forests named for the tuft of hair on its forehead, which often hides the male's tiny antlers.
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About the Tufted Deer
Tufted deer live in high mountain forests of southern and central China and northeastern Myanmar, always near water. They weigh 37 to 110 pounds and have coarse dark gray or brown coats with white tips on their ears. A tuft of hair on the forehead can hide the male's short, spiky antlers. They eat leaves, twigs, fruit and grass.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Elaphodus cephalophus[1]
- Size
- 3.6 to 5.3 feet long; 1.6 to 2.3 feet tall at the shoulder.[1]
- Weight
- 37 to 110 pounds.[1]
- Lifespan
- Up to about 15 years in human care.[1]
- Diet
- Herbivore. Leaves, twigs, fruit and grass.[1]
- Habitat
- High-altitude forests near water.[1]
- Where it lives
- Southern and central China and northeastern Myanmar.[1]
- Group life
- Usually solitary, sometimes in pairs.[1]
- Babies
- One or two fawns in early summer.[1]
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened (IUCN Red List, assessed 2014).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- tuft
- A bunch of hair or feathers growing close together.
- antler
- A bony branch that grows on a deer's head and falls off each year.
- fawn
- A baby deer.
- territory
- An area an animal lives in and defends.
- near threatened
- A conservation label meaning a species may soon be at risk of dying out if things don't improve.
See it in person
- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Asian HighlandsSee this area on the zoo's website ↗
These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.
Sources
- [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan. “Tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Elaphodus_cephalophus/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Elaphodus cephalophus (Tufted Deer).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7112/22159620 (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.
