The Water Deer is superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer (cervidae) but it is classified as a cervid despite having tusks (downward-pointing canine teeth) instead of antlers and other anatomical anomolies. There are two subspecies: the Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis inermis) and the Korean Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus).
Water deer are usually solitary (except during the rut), occasionally forming small groups. They are fairly small (50cm at the shoulder) and good swimmers. They are shy animals whose habitat is the dense vegetation of marshes, making study difficult. Four to five young are born at a time, far more than usual for deer.
The Korean subspecies is found in both North and South Korea and the population appears healthy. The Chinese subspecies is restricted to several small ranges around the Dongting, Poyang and Taihu lakes along the Yangtze, and in nearby coastal areas including on the Zhoushan islands. It appears reasonably secure within its range. Approximately 10% of Chinese Water Deer are a wild population living around the Norfolk Broads in the UK, having escaped from Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and Woburn Abbey during the 20th century. There is also a small wild poplulation in France [Further details on this welcome].
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