Thorold's deer
cervus albirostris latin

Thorold's deer has a number of physical and physiological adaptations to its high altitude environment.

Thorold's deer is a crepuscular animal, normally living in herds of at least ten individuals.

For this reason Thorold's deer is also commonly known as the white-lipped deer.

They have few natural predators, although wolves and snow leopards have been known to eat Thorold's deer on occasion.

Thorold's deer have been reported to live up to 21 years in captivity, but probably do not survive for more than twelve years in the wild.

Thorold's deer is found only in scattered populations across its former range, although the remoteness of its preferred habitat makes it difficult to study in detail.

Thorold's Deer (Cervus albirostris)

In Tibet, the argali must regularly compete with other grazing species for pasture, including Tibetan antelope, bharal, Thorold's deer and wild yaks.

Thorold's deer inhabits the Chinese provinces of Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and far northwestern Yunnan.

Thorold's deer (Cervus albirostris) is a threatened species of deer found in grassland, shrubland and forest at high altitudes in the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Thorold's deer has traditionally been included in the genus Cervus, and genetic evidence suggests this is more appropriate than its present placement in the monotypic genus Przewalskium.

Surprisingly, from DNA evidence the Elk appear more closely related to Sika Deer and to Thorold's deer than to Red Deer.

Although the species was first described by Nikolai Przhevalsky in 1883, it is known as "Thorold's deer" because the first specimens was procured by G. W. Thorold.

Valuable species originated from China include: giant panda, golden monkey, Asian elephant, takin, kiang, Thorold's deer, Hoolock gibbon, Francois' leaf monkey, fox, red-crowned crane.

The previous classification had over a dozen subspecies under the C. elaphus species designation; DNA evidence concludes that elk are more closely related to Thorold's deer and even sika deer than they are to the red deer.

Deer such as the sika deer, Thorold's deer, Central Asian red deer, and elk have historically been farmed for their antlers by Han Chinese, Turkic peoples, Tungusic peoples, Mongolians, and Koreans.