The water deer(Hydropotes inermis) is a small deer superficially more similar to a musk deer than a true deer.Native to China and Korea,
there are two subspecies:the Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis inermis) and the Korean water deer(Hydropotes inermis argyropus). Its
prominent tusks have led to it being colloquially named the vampire deer in English-speaking areas to which it has been imported.Despite its
lack of antlers and certain other anatomical anomalies—including a pair of prominent tusks(downward-pointing canine teeth),it is classified
as a cervid.Its unique anatomical characteristics have caused it to be classified in its own genus (Hydropotes) as well as its own subfamily
(Hydropotinae).However, a study of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences placed it near Capreolus within an Old World section of the subfamily Capreolinae.