Kamalayan: Filipino Word of the Day 265
Pilandok. Philippine Mouse Deer.
Also known as the Balabac chevrotain, pilandok (or Philippine mouse-deer), is a small, nocturnal ruminant, which is endemic to Balabac and nearby smaller islands (Bugsuc and Ramos) southwest of Palawan in the Philippines. The genus Tragulus means 'little goat' and the Philippine mouse-deer has been named so due to the horizontal pupils of the eyes. This position of the pupil allows for an increase in peripheral depth perception. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the greater mouse-deer (T. napu). In 2004, though, T. nigricans was separated from T. napu as its own species due to differences in skull morphology (skull measurements). Contrary to its common name, the Philippine mouse-deer does not belong to the deer family Cervidae, but is a member of the chevrotain family.
Pilandok is one of the fast disappearing wildlife in the Philippines, and the world considering that it is an endemic species known only to exist in some islands in Palawan, specifically in Balabac islands.
They are mostly nocturnal, seeking shelter in the forest during day. At night, they leave to forage in more open habitat and are often seen along roads in the headlights of vehicles. Their main diet consists of leaves, flowers, and other vegetation in the dense forest undergrowth. During the day, it takes shelter in the dense primary and secondary forests and avoids movement. At sundown, it will wander into mangroves and more open areas to feed. They have also been spotted along the seashore. The natives of the Philippines believe the Philippine mouse-deer has a mutual relationship with a species of python; according to them, when the Philippine mouse-deer is hunted by a natural predator or by humans with the aid of dogs, it will hide in a burrow, and when the predator comes by, the python will eat the predator.
The Philippine mouse-deer is usually portrayed as a trickster in Philippine folklore. In a Maranao tale, the Philippine mouse-deer tricks a prince into giving up his bag of gold and facing a hive of angry bees.
Reference:
Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. 2005
Artwork:
Philippine mouse deer by http://squeegool.deviantart.com/
