Przewalskium albirostris

The white-lipped deer is a large deer, similar in body shape to the red deer, but slightly smaller than the red deer. The body length is 100-210 cm, the shoulder height is 120-130 cm, and the tail is the shortest among the large deer, only 10-15 cm. , weight 130-200 kg. The head is slightly isosceles triangle, the forehead is wide and flat, the ears are long and pointed, the infraorbital gland is large and deep, very prominent, which may be related to mutual communication. The most important feature is that it has a pure white lower lip. Because the white color extends to the upper part of the throat and both sides of the snout, it is named. It is also known as white-nosed deer, white-kissed deer, etc.
Its neck is also very long, and there are light yellow patches on the buttocks, but there are no black back lines and white spots. In winter, the body hair is dark brown with small light maroon spots, so it is also called "red deer"; in summer, the hair is darker, yellowish

In China, it is distributed in Qinghai, Gansu, western Sichuan, and eastern Tibet. In Sichuan, it is distributed from Nanping to Wenchuan in the south, and from Baoxing, Jiulong to Muli in the west, in the extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwest Sichuan, totaling about 28 counties; in Gansu, it is distributed in Sunan, Subei in the west, and Maqu County in Gannan in the east of Qilian Mountain; in Qinghai, it is distributed in the Qilian Mountain area west of Qilian County to Yushu Prefecture between Kunlun Mountain and Tanggula Mountain; in Hoh Xil, Tibet, it is only distributed between the southeastern Tuotuo River and the eastern end of Ulan Ula Mountain, and is distributed in Tongtian River Bank and Zari Gana outside the nature reserve.
White-lipped deer is a mountain animal living in high-altitude areas, with a high distribution altitude. It mainly lives in forest shrubs, shrub meadows and alpine meadow grasslands at 3500-5100 meters, especially in the forest line a

White-lipped Deer is a species endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with no subspecies. It is the deer species with the highest altitude.

White-lipped Deer like to move around in the open space and forest edge, and have very sensitive sense of smell and hearing. Because its hooves are wider than those of other deer, it is suitable for climbing mountains, and sometimes even climbing bare rock cliffs. When running, the joints of its feet make a "click, click" sound, which may also be a signal of mutual communication. It is also good at swimming and can cross wide water surfaces with fast currents.

The group of white-lipped deer is usually only 3-5, and sometimes there are dozens or even 100-200 large groups. The group can be divided into three types: female groups composed of females and cubs, male groups composed of males, and mixed groups composed of males and females. There are fewer individuals in the male group than in the female group, and the largest group does not exceed 8. The mixed group does not distinguish between age and gender and mainly appears during the breeding season. White-lipped deer basically spend the summer on alpine grasslands, and avoid the alpine grasslands with a lot of snow in winter and move to shrub forests. However, since nearly 80% of the grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are grazing lands for yaks, sheep, and goats, in order to avoid contact with these livestock and herders, white-lipped deer have seasonal movements, coming to areas above 5,000 meters or even higher, where livestock cannot reach, as well as islands in lakes, areas surrounded by wetlands, and grasslands on cliffs. In winter, they migrate to grasslands at lower altitudes. Its food is mainly herbaceous plants, especially grass, moss, Polygonum aviculare, and Astragalus. It also eats buds, leaves, twigs, and bark of trees such as mountain willow and alpine oak. There are more than 80 kinds of food. It mainly forages in the morning and evening, and also has the habit of licking salt, especially in spring and summer. Its natural enemies in the wild include jackals, wolves, and snow leopards.

Usually October and November are the mating season for white-lipped deer. At this time, males often neigh loudly, making a "zǎo" roar, which is composed of 4-5 syllables and is a continuous sound. It is strong and low, and it does not stop day and night. They use their hooves or horns to dig the ground, roll on the ground, and get mud on their bodies. Males in estrus do not have a fixed habitat, and run around looking for females in estrus. Generally, a male can occupy several females. The fights between males are also very fierce, often breaking their horns. During the estrus period, males have a poor appetite, almost no food or drink, and their necks are swollen and rotten. They are ferocious and completely in an excited state, so they become very thin before and after the mating period. The gestation period of females is 8 months, and they give birth in May-July of the second year, with one baby per litter, and occasionally two babies. Newborn babies have spots all over their bodies, which gradually disappear after one month, and they reach sexual maturity after 3 years old. Female deer can participate in reproduction at the age of 3, while male deer generally cannot participate in mating until they are 5 years old. Antlers grow and shed once a year. Deer antlers have a high yield and are precious Chinese medicinal materials.

White-lipped deer are mostly distributed in pastoral areas, and the expansion of animal husbandry has indirectly led to grassland degradation, which has seriously affected their activities and food bases, and also had a serious impact on the distribution of populations. In the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, such as the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and the mountains of Gansu, the distribution of white-lipped deer has become island-like. There is a lack of gene exchange between communities, and the gradual decline of genetics is an important factor threatening the survival of white-lipped deer in the wild. In order to protect wild white-lipped deer, China has many farms in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and other places to domesticate white-lipped deer. Among them, the deer farm in Zhiduo County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai has the largest number of deer, reaching hundreds. In addition, there are many scattered breeders. Many places have been able to achieve grazing, which can not only reduce feeding costs, but also increase reproduction rates.

Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 ver3.1 - Least Concern (LC).

Listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Listed in the first level of China's national key protected wildlife list.

Protect wildlife and eliminate game.

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