- The barking deer is known for its loud, dog-like bark, which it uses as an alarm call when it feels threatened.
- Male barking deer have short, unbranched antlers and also possess tusks, which are elongated canine teeth used for fighting.
- The Sri Lankan subspecies of the barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak malabaricus) has a remarkably low number of chromosomes, with males having a diploid number of 7 and females having only 6.
- They are active during dusk and dawn, and can be seen during the daytime but become nocturnal when disturbed.
