Hyemoschus aquaticus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~80%
The water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus), also known as the fanged deer, is a small ruminant found in tropical Africa. This is the only species in the genus Hyemoschus. It is the largest of the 10 species of chevrotains, basal even-toed ungulates which are visually similar to deer, but are barely larger than small dogs.
Unusually for most mammals, female water chevrotains are larger than males. On average, they weigh over 2 kg more than the 10-kg males. Their body length is about 85 cm, and their shoulder height is around 35 cm. Water chevrotains have a rich, sleek, red-brown coat on top, and the underside of the coat is white. On the body is a pattern of white stripes that runs horizontally from the shoulder to the tail, with vertical rows of white stripes in the back. The chin, throat, and chest are covered in very coarse hair with a pattern of white V shapes.
The back end of the water chevrotain has many powerful muscles and is higher than the shoulders, which makes the body slope down toward the front. The head is held down toward the ground while walking, which allows the water chevrotain to navigate easily through thickets of dense brush. A layer of thick...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinko Conservation Area | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | |
| 2 | Odzala-Kokoua National Park | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Water Chevrotain sighting in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 53 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June, September and November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Water Chevrotain in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in October and December–March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Water Chevrotain sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Water Chevrotain sightings, Chinko Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Republic of the Congo, about 20%).
Same order: Artiodactyla
The closest relatives of the Water Chevrotain that you can see in Chinko Conservation Area (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Northern Bushbuck (about 70%), Giant Forest Hog (about 60%) and African Buffalo (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Water Chevrotain is recorded against all the mammals logged in Chinko Conservation Area (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
