Short fights occasionally occur among males, who use their sharp canines to bite their opponent. The injuries sustained during these fights are the most likely cause of the general avoidance of conspecifics observed in these chevrotains. While the population density ranges between 7.7 and 28 individuals per sq. Perhaps because of this, young animals seldom exhibit play activities. Unlike other species within the Chevrotain family, the water chevrotain is exclusively nocturnal.
Individuals rest during the day hidden by ground vegetation.
Females are much more active than males. Although water is used as a refuge from predators, they are not capable of swimming for extended periods of time. The African chevrotain can be found in tropical rain forests and thickets rarely more than 250 m away from water. At night, chevrotains can be observed in exposed clearings and open river banks but during the day, the animal cannot be found outside of the dense forest. Positive The water chevrotain is avidly hunted by humans.