PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

A haematological study was conducted on the Malaysian Lesser Mouse-deer (Tragulus javanicus) kept in captivity. This study revealed that the mouse-deer has a very high erythrocyte count of the smallest known size in any known ungulate. It also has relatively high haemoglobin content. The small size of the animal and the high erythrocyte count may reflect high metabolic rate while high haemoglobin content may reflect capacity for sustained muscular activity.