说到马麝，可能大家有点陌生;但如果提到香獐，大家就比较熟悉了。其实，马麝与香獐是同科同属下的不同物种，与香獐一样，雄性马麝的腹部也有麝香腺体，也可以分泌麝香。

Speaking of alpine musk deer, you may be unfamiliar with it; But if you're talking about roe, everyone knows its name. In fact, these two are different species under the same family and genus. Like roe deer, male alpine musk deer also have musk glands in their abdomen and can secrete musk as well.

马麝是现存麝属下体型最大的物种，它们成年后的体长平均在85厘米左右，体重平均15公斤左右。从外观上看，马麝与鹿有些相似，不过，马麝的头上没有角，身上也没有斑点或者斑纹，它的背部毛发主要以灰褐色为主。

It is the largest species of the genus Musk, with an average adult body length of about 85 cm and an average weight of about 15 kg. Visually, it is somewhat similar to a deer, however, it bears no horns on its head, no spots or markings on its body, and its back hair is mainly grayish-brown.

跟其他麝属动物相比，马麝还有一个最大的特点就是它们长了一副“吸血鬼”那样的獠牙。有些小伙伴可能会好奇，马麝是一种纯食草动物，它又不吃肉，长着如此尖利的牙齿有什么用呢? 经过长期研究，动物学家们发现，在繁殖期，那些牙齿更长的雄性更容易找到异性，而且即使不决斗，雌性马麝只通过牙齿长短就能选择心仪的对象。这也就意味着马麝的一副锋利的獠牙并非是用来攻击其他动物的武器，而只是它求偶的一种手段。

Compared with other musk, the most important feature is its vampire-like fangs. Some of you may wonder, what is the use of having such sharp teeth when it is a pure herbivore and does not eat meat at all? After the long-term study, zoologists have found that during the breeding season, males with longer teeth are more likely to find the opposite sex, and even if they don't duel, female musk can choose by the length of their teeth, which means that the musk's sharp tusks are not a weapon to attack other animals, but rather means of courtship.

其实，在马麝凶凶地獠牙背后，是一颗“温柔”的内心——它们喜欢栖息在针叶林或者灌木丛中，性格胆小谨慎，喜欢独居生活，通常在日出前和日落后活动，白天则躲起来休息。所以，我们常说的不要“以貌取人”，在动物界也是适用的。

In fact, behind the fierce fangs lies a tender heart. Alpine musk deer are timid and cautious, preferring to live alone in coniferous forests or bushes. It only comes out before sunrise and after sunset, while hiding and resting during the daytime. We often say “don’t judge a book by its cover", and this applies to the animal world.