Deer musk is a substance with a persistent odor, obtained from the caudal glands of the male musk deer. Although more commonly referred to as "musk", the term itself is often used to describe a wide variety of "musky" substances from other animals such as the African civet ("civet musk") or various synthetic musks whose compound exhibits some character of deer musk. The demand for deer musk has led to a severe decrease in musk deer populations. Six of the seven musk producing species are listed as Endangered.