Most common musk deer

All seven species of musk deer are rare and threatened with extinction, but the most common species is currently the Siberian musk deer Moschus moschiferus, which is classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, whereas all of the other six species are classed as Endangered. The total world number for the Siberian musk deer is decreasing, as a result of hunting for the precious musk-secreting gland possessed by the adult males, but is currently estimated at around 230,000 individuals, of which approximately 150,000 constitute the population inhabiting the Russian Federation's Far Eastern region. Smaller populations are also found in eastern Siberia, the island of Sakhalin, Mongolia, China, North Korea and South Korea.

It was traditionally classed as a single species housed in its own subfamily within the taxonomic family Cervidae consisting of the true deer. In recent years genetic studies have revealed that seven distinct species of musk deer exist, and that they are sufficiently removed taxonomically from true deer to warrant their subfamily being elevated to the rank of a full taxonomic family in its own right.

Apart from producing musk, these small hoofed mammals are also famous for lacking antlers and for the males sporting an upper pair of very long fang-like or tusk-like canine teeth, which has earned them the soubriquet of "vampire deer" in some media reports, although they actually use these fearsome-looking teeth merely for display purposes instead of antlers, not for any vampirish activity!