Elaphurus davidianus
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Order Artiodactyla
Family Cervidae
Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) can be said to be a treasured animal species from China, on par with the giant panda in terms of fame. It has the tail of a donkey, but is not a donkey. It has the hooves of a cow, but is not a cow. It has the antlers of a deer, but is not a deer. It has the neck of a camel, but is not a camel. Therefore, in China it is also referred to as "the four unlikes". The main beam of the antlers forms two branches some distance from the head. The fossils of Pere David's deer have mostly been found in the eastern plains of China, with some discovered in Japan. There is evidence that during Earth's history, there were land links between Japan and the Asian continent. Large numbers of Pere David's deer fossils have been salvaged from the Penghu Channel. These confirm that during the Ice Age in the Late Pleistocene herds of Pere David's deer migrated from along the Yangtze and Huai rivers across land bridge to this area.
