| “ | Vampire-like appearance. | ” |
| —In-game description | ||
The Musk Deer is a huntable animal featured in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties. It appears in central to northern Asian maps, namely Mongolia, Siberia, and Silk Road. It takes two shots to bring down for villagers, and grants 400 food, which is similar statistics to the common Deer.
History[]
| “ | Scientific Name: Moschus moschiferus Approx. Size: 20-24 in. to shoulder Diet: Grasses, flowers, shoots, mosses, lichens The musk deer is a shy, solitary deer with a speckled coat, big ears, a short tail, and no antlers. It is the only deer that possesses a gall bladder, and the male's downward curving canine teeth are unique to the deer family. The musk deer can be found in the mountainous regions stretching from Siberia across Korea to the Himalayas, at heights of up to 8,000 feet. The male's musk gland, or "pod," located between its abdomen and its genitals, is much sought after due to its intense, yet pleasant, odor, attributed to the organic compound muscone. The smell can only be extracted once the musk gland is removed, dried, and the resultant paste significantly diluted. It is often used in perfume, and as such is the most expensive animal product in the world. Thus, poaching is primarily responsible for the reduction in existing musk deer populations. However, the acquisition of muscone from musk deer is now controlled, and other sources have since been discovered, such as from musk flower, musk wood, and the musk seed. Most often it is created synthetically. | ” |
Gallery[]
Musk Deer, native to Siberia.
A herd of Musk Deer in Mongolia
Musk Deer image from the Compendium section
