Morphological, Phaneroptic, Habitat and Population Description of Three Muntjac Species in a Tibetan Nature Reserve

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Due to the special geographical environment and underdeveloped infrastructure in southern Tibet, China, there are still many wild animals in this area that are not fully understood, especially wild animals with narrow distributions that are rare. Muntjacs are one such type of wild animal, as they have been weakly studied in terms of their physical characteristics, population, and habitat. Based on ten years of field monitoring efforts, this study obtained ample photographic evidence and original data on three species of muntjacs (red muntjac, Gongshan muntjac, and Fea’s muntjac) in a Tibetan nature reserve. Using the obtained data and various models, the characteristics of the muntjac species were distinguished and their relatively objective population numbers and habitat occupancy were determined. This paper answers basic questions about the three different species of muntjac from the aspects of morphology, population sizes and density, and habitat occupation. This information will be useful for researchers and conservation management departments, and it will assist in providing well-informed suggestions for the management of protected areas in this region. ABSTRACT: Researchers have proposed a variety of classification schemes for the species in the genus Muntiacus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) based on morphological, molecular, and other evidence, but disputes remain. The Tibetan Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve in the Eastern Himalayas is an area with a rich diversity of muntjac species. The habitats of many species overlap in this area, but systematic research in this area is lacking. To clarify the species, population and habitat size of muntjac species in the study area, we used camera-traps to monitor muntjacs in the nature reserve from 2013 to 2021 and described and compared morphological characteristics of the muntjac species. Subsequently, we used the MaxEnt model to simulate the habitats of the muntjac species and the Random Encounter Model to estimate the population density and numbers of muntjacs. Three muntjac species were found in the area, namely Muntiacus vaginalis (n = 7788 ± 3866), Muntiacus gongshanensis (n = 6673 ± 2121), and Muntiacus feae (n = 3142 ± 942). The red muntjac has the largest habitat area, the highest population density, and largest size, followed by Gongshan muntjac and Fea’s muntjac. This study provides basic data for improving the background knowledge of the animal diversity in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, as well as detailed information and references required by wildlife workers for species identification.