The Newest, Cutest Baby Animals from the World's Zoos & Aquariums

It’s a Mouse… It’s a Deer… It’s a Mouse Deer!

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A tiny deer at Paignton Zoo has given birth just months after she lay critically ill on the operating table. A long and complicated illness required the tiny lesser Malay mouse deer to undergo multiple rounds of general anaesthesia and surgery. Due to the hard work of zoo vets and a little luck, the tiny deer overcame it's illness and on June 19th gave birth to an even tinier little fawn. Mouse deer are the smallest members of the animal family that includes pigs, hippos, camels, deer, antelopes, sheep and goats. Adults are 45 to 55 centimetres long (18 to 22 inches) and can live for about 12 years.

Mouse-Deer-at-Paignton-Zoo

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62 responses to “It’s a Mouse… It’s a Deer… It’s a Mouse Deer!”

  1. Classic Steve Avatar
    Classic Steve

    They look kind of fake. Like the mother shouldn’t even be able to stand.
    Still, cuties.

    Reply
  2. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Kudos to the Paington Zoo for their efforts to save the lesser Malay mouse deer mum. Mum does look too puffy for her legs, but they are both adorable. I had no idea such critters existed. I love this site!

    Reply
  3. Colleen James Avatar
    Colleen James

    Super cute!

    Reply
  4. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    I am fawning

    Reply
  5. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    They’re so endeering

    Reply
  6. pks Avatar
    pks

    awww, cute!!

    Reply
  7. Leo E. Avatar
    Leo E.

    Cute, yet kinda creepy at the same time.

    Reply
  8. elle Avatar
    elle

    awwwww look at its little twiggy legs!! (o)

    Reply
  9. RaeRae Avatar
    RaeRae

    I doe think so myself.

    Reply
  10. moss Avatar
    moss

    delicious!

    Reply
  11. Iva Avatar
    Iva

    very cute!!!!

    Reply
  12. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    Doe you think so too?

    Reply
  13. Brett Avatar
    Brett

    Nice going kevin. now the buck stops here.

    Reply
  14. anon Avatar
    anon

    shopped

    Reply
  15. someone Avatar
    someone

    Theyre not real. Google deer mouse.

    Reply
  16. SarahB Avatar
    SarahB

    They are real. Malay Mouse Deer, scientific name Tragulus napu. People should really learn how to read and use google. It’s 2010 already.

    Reply
  17. Alan Avatar
    Alan

    not if they stag-ger a little

    Reply
  18. travis Avatar
    travis

    I wonder what they taste like?

    Reply
  19. Barbara Bennett Avatar
    Barbara Bennett

    I was fortunate enough to see one of these in the wild in Borneo this past May–and they are truly as strange and wonderful as they seem. Who knew evolution could play such amazing games on us!

    Reply
  20. Donny B Avatar
    Donny B

    Oh hey sweet. I’m glad someone found this creature. I will add this to the list of some amazing real creatures people have found so far:
    -Deer Mouse
    -Hobbits
    -Navi from Avatar
    -Centaurs
    -Harry Potter
    Actually I have yet to see any of these myself but I have seen pictures or videos of them so they must be real. After all, there is no way those boxes called computers can make a kid look like Harry Potter and have magic and sure as hell can’t make a Deer Mouse.
    …
    Anyone who thinks this is real obviously doesn’t know it’s 2010. And they will literally believe everything anyone says. This is a cool picture though and whoever did it is very talented in Photoshop.. As is the creator of this Photoshopped image: http://www.mindspill.org/279/enclosure/orange_frog.jpg
    Oh but I better warn the gullible people out there – this is not a real frog. It’s a picture of a frog mixed with an orange peel. No animals were harmed in the making of that Photoshopped image.

    Reply
  21. Andrew Bleiman Avatar
    Andrew Bleiman

    Hiya Donny,
    It’s quite real – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Mouse-deer

    Reply
  22. lame Avatar
    lame

    seriosly… not funny

    Reply
  23. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    yeah but look at horses, huge body and skinny legs.

    Reply
  24. Against ignorant behaviour Avatar
    Against ignorant behaviour

    It was not written in Spanish…they wrote Mouse deer not deer mouse…even dyslexia would not have caused that sort of re re mistake.

    Reply
  25. Against ignorant behaviour Avatar
    Against ignorant behaviour

    Malay MOUSE DEAR..not deer mouse you ignorant trolling fecal lump…for such an articulate person you certainly are an absolute buffoon…

    Reply
  26. Lex Avatar
    Lex

    Well that’s kind of bizarre because I could have sworn when I went to Paignton Zoo I saw it in the flesh but someone must have just photoshopped my vision for me. Thanks for clearing that up.
    They are also known as Chevrotains if you’re willing to shed your ignorance for a minute.

    Reply
  27. lamer Avatar
    lamer

    you mean.. not fawny

    Reply
  28. Zucchini Avatar
    Zucchini

    Hahaha..i laughed :]

    Reply
  29. pomps Avatar
    pomps

    LOL. It’s a Pilandok. :))

    Reply
  30. pomps Avatar
    pomps

    Right. Mouse Deers are fake. And so are Platypuses. >_>
    http://www.palawaniana.net/news/the-balabac-mousedeer-tragulus-nigricans-/
    try using google first before making stupid comments.

    Reply
  31. Gabriel Gadfly Avatar
    Gabriel Gadfly

    They’re certainly odd looking, aren’t they?

    Reply
  32. Zill Avatar
    Zill

    http://www.google.com/search?q=Tragulus+napu&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a oh look….

    Reply
  33. Soft Pwas Cattery Avatar
    Soft Pwas Cattery

    Pretty cute… they do look kinda sad in real life with those skinny paws though 🙂

    Reply
  34. Colter Avatar
    Colter

    Go look up videos of it. It’s real…

    Reply
  35. the guy above me hasnt got a brain Avatar
    the guy above me hasnt got a brain

    dude.. it’s a MOUSE-DEER. not a DEER MOUSE. theyre at zoos you idiot…. theyre just very small deer.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrotain
    read a book or something.

    Reply
  36. heyyouareajew@hotmail.com Avatar
    heyyouareajew@hotmail.com

    Is this in the same family as the jackelope??

    Reply
  37. Chris Eastland Avatar
    Chris Eastland

    Jack-a-lope! Blast from the past!
    Sent from my iPhone

    Reply
  38. Caroline Avatar
    Caroline




    Also, try using Google Scholar to search the term “mouse deer” or “lesser mouse deer”. I don’t think that many scientists would waste time researching a make-believe animal. I mean, most of the genealogy research on the thing seems to be from the 70’s and 80’s. . . I don’t think photoshop existed then. 🙂

    Reply
  39. Did his homework Avatar
    Did his homework

    May I suggest research before you post? It’s really a good idea, actually. I’ll even give you a website we can trust: http://www.centralpark.com/pages/central-park-zoo/mouse-deer.html
    If you are going to poke fun at someone for what they supposedly don’t know make sure your facts are in line too.

    Reply
  40. James Avatar
    James

    I guess you’ve never heard of Chevrotains? Why don’t you do a little research and stop being so ignorant? They live in Central and West Africa and in South Asia. The family of Tragulidae. No? They’re not even that small, they’re about the size of a small dog. Mouse deer is just a name common based on how they look, not literal. Go study some zoology before pretending you’re smarter than everyone else.

    Reply
  41. Emily Avatar
    Emily

    I think it’s hilarious. lol

    Reply
  42. ads Avatar
    ads

    horses legs are enormous…

    Reply
  43. James Avatar
    James

    Probably like a Mouse Deer? all though the meat might be a bit doe’y

    Reply
  44. anton Avatar
    anton

    Adorable little guys. They are a known species.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_Mouse-deer

    Reply
  45. liiz Avatar
    liiz

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_deer
    it’s real :O

    Reply
  46. andrew Avatar
    andrew

    they look creepy because they resemble bats more than anything, including deer. look at the ears nose and legs. even the mothers coat looks just like a bats.

    Reply
  47. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    I want one! They’re Adorable!

    Reply
  48. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    That is just sick!

    Reply
  49. C Colasurdo Avatar
    C Colasurdo

    How could you ask that? They are adorable!!!

    Reply
  50. M.H. Avatar
    M.H.

    I had no idea…

    Reply
  51. Cute Animals Avatar
    Cute Animals

    Awh, they are adorable…This is my first time ever hearing about these

    Reply
  52. Meaghan Avatar
    Meaghan

    Moose, then. Moose have huge bodies on toothpick legs. They look so silly.

    Reply
  53. Elriana Avatar
    Elriana

    Are these deer, or mice? ha! deer! there so small!

    Reply
  54. Aric Avatar
    Aric

    Chevrotains

    Reply
  55. lexey Avatar
    lexey

    those poor animals its sad to see them like that. i think there still cute thou

    Reply
  56. Keith Avatar
    Keith

    “Amazingly, the tongue is 5 inches (2 cm) long”
    Please tell me other people noticed this as well. They probably meant “2 inches (5 cm).”

    Reply
  57. bakeca torino Avatar
    bakeca torino

    is real?

    Reply
  58. northierthanthou Avatar
    northierthanthou

    Really cute little bugger. Hard to believe it isn’t a rodent.

    Reply
  59. a person Avatar
    a person

    they are really cute. kinda creepy though. by the way how are some of you guys saying they are fake. they are even in zoos.

    Reply
  60. northierthanthou Avatar
    northierthanthou

    If Jackalope aren’t real, then tell me how so many hunters have them on their walls, huh? …checkmate!

    Reply
  61. Joel Avatar
    Joel

    Awwww these are so cute!!

    Reply
  62. Obat Ibu Hamil Avatar
    Obat Ibu Hamil

    uhh very cute 🙂

    Reply

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