The Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) is a musk deer species native to the eastern Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India to the highlands of Tibet. The Alpine musk deer recorded in the Himalayan foothills is now considered a separate species, the Himalayan musk deer. It is the state animal of Uttarakhand. Taxonomy The Alpine musk deer belongs to the family Moschidae. This family is part of a clade that includes Bovidae, and Cervidae, which is a sister group to Giraffidae, who are all clustered together with Ruminatia under the order Artiodactyla. Recent studies have shown a relation between Artiodactyls and Cetaceans, combining them into the order Certiodactyla. Two subspecies are recognized: M. c. chrysogaster – Southern Tibet, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan M. c. sifanicus – Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, western Sichuan, and northwestern Yunnan Characteristics The Alpine musk deer is a small deer (40–60 cm tall) with long upper canines that do not hide within the mouth. It is named for having an externally visible musk sac between male testes. Its fangs grow during mating season and are used for sparring with other males. Alpine musk deer have a larger body size compared to other musk deer. Distribution and habitat The Alpine musk deer inhabits coniferous and deciduous forests in the mountain regions of western China, Tibet, Sichuan and Gansu at elevations of . In Nepal, it occurs in Khaptad, Sagarmatha, Shey-Phoksundo, Langtang, Makalu Barun National Parks, Annapurna, Kanchenjunga Conservation Areas and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. In eastern Bhutan's Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, it has been recorded at an elevation of in 2015. Mountain caves and shrubs form ideal habitat. In southwestern China's Baima Xueshan Nature Reserve, the Alpine musk deer favours oak shrubs, oak forests and open canopy cover. Behavior and ecology The Alpine musk deer is a ruminant herbivore, foremost a browser and feeds mainly on forbs, grasses, moss, lichens, and shoots, leaves and twigs of shrubs. Males compete for resources and social rank. Those with the highest rank have primary access to resources such as food, shelter, territory and reproductive rights. Both captive and wild musk deer compete for resources, exhibited in aggressive interactions, during which they butt each other's heads and spray musk as a show of strength and territory marking. Establishing a hierarchy among herd animals often results in physical injury or death for the individuals involved. Captive musk deer show lower intensity of