Lesser Malay Mouse-deer Tragulus kanchil

Mouse-deer (also Mouse Deer and Chevrotain) are very small deer-like animals native to Southeast Asia (and related to Chevrotains of India/Sri Lanka and Africa). In 2004 the Lesser Mouse-deer, also called Malay Lesser Mouse-deer and Javan Chevrotain, a shy, crespuscular mouse-deer, was split into 3 species.

One of those previously included in "T. javanicus" became "T. kanchil", applied to the mouse-deer over much of the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and Indochina and retaining the name Lesser Malay Mouse-deer (also Indo-Malayan Mouse-deer and Lesser Oriental Chevrotain). This species is now the smallest of the Mouse-deer/Chevrotain species.

Mouse-deer (and Chevrotains) are primitive deer-like animals which don't have antlers or horns but both male and female have extended canine teeth like small tusks, much longer in the male. They are mainly nocturnal and solitary or paired and are among the world's smallest hoofed mammals with a rabbit-sized body and stick-thin, short legs.

The Lesser Mouse-deer (previous 3 subspecies) was the world's second smallest hoofed mammal, quoted at up to 30cm (12 inches) tall; (the Royal Antelope, at 25cm or 10 inches tall and slightly shorter head/body length is then the smallest ungulate). However, recent reports of T. kanchil have quoted a size of 20-25cm (8-10 inches) height at the shoulder, which would make the Lesser Malay Mouse-deer the world's smallest ungulate.