noun
chevrotain; mouse deer
A small, deer-like ungulate of the family Tragulidae, native to forests in Asia and Africa.
マメジカは世界最小の有蹄類の一つです。
The mouse deer is one of the world's smallest ungulates.
動物園でマメジカを見た。
I saw a chevrotain at the zoo.
鹿 is a general term for deer, while マメジカ refers specifically to the much smaller chevrotain or mouse deer.
Compound of 豆 (まめ, 'bean') and 鹿 (しか, 'deer'), referring to its small size. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.