invasive species series: chinese water deer

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  • irene muehldorf's avatar Artist
    irene mueh...
  • DDG Model
    ChatGPT 2
  • Mode
    Ultra
  • Access
    Public
  • Created
    12h ago
  • Try Try style

Prompt

In Britain, Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) is firmly established in the wild despite being classed as an invasive species, a label that makes it an offense to release them from captivity. At the same time, they are given the same protection from shooting in the close season as all other deer species. Chinese water deer do not seem to interfere with local deer populations, nor do they do damage when grazing, compared with the crops eaten or tree saplings nibbled away by native herds. They were introduced by the Duke of Bedford in 1896, and some were subsequently given to what is now Whipsnade Zoo. Some deer escaped into the wild in 1945, and they took to the habitat. Chinese water deer are small, stocky, russet-colored in summer, and have large, rounded, fluffy ears, a small, black nose. Their faces have a soft expression that make them look a bit like teddy bears. They weigh 11 to 18 kilos and stand about 50 cm tall. A standout feature is that they have pronounced tusks (elongated upper canine teeth), but no antlers, which categorizes them as the most primitive of all deer and therefore a biologically important animal. The Chinese water deer are not attracted to cities and prefer wetland habitats like reed beds, fens, marshes, riverbanks, and adjacent arable farmland. They are also strong swimmers. The image shows a close-up of several Chinese water deer grazing in a marsh in summer. The style is a diaphanous, wet-on-wet watercolor, with delicate lines outlining the deer against the marsh background to allow the deer to stand out. The delicate gray-greens, greens, browns and dark browns of the marsh contrast with the reddish-brown of the plushy fur of the Chinese water deer. The watercolor is executed with extreme scientific precision.

More about invasive species series: chinese water deer

Chinese water deer are adorable, but an invasive species in Europe.

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