For the first time, the hair cover and hair microstructure of an adult male Hydropotes inermis from the Primorsky region of Russia were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. The absence of abundant underfur, sparse wool and its weak layering are characteristic of this inhabitant of the temperate monsoon and tropical zones, which does not need an effective thermal protection.The alveolar and lattice medulla of the hair is similar to that of other deer, is well developed, and increases the heat-protective properties of the hair, since seasonal and daily fluctuations in temperature and humidity can be significant. The cuticle pattern is similar to that of deer tribes Alceini and Capreolini. The hair serves as reliable protection for the water deer from mechanical damage when moving through thickets of bushes and grasses along the banks of rivers and swamps in the biotopes that this deer inhabits, which is facilitated by the significant thickness and length of the hairs on the back, sides and thighs. The knotty nature of the hairs protects the deer’s skin from the sharp growths of aquatic and marsh plants.
Read full abstract