^ Classification

• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Family: Cervidae

Table of Contents

• Classification
• Geographic Range
• Physical Characteristics
• Natural History
• Conservation/Biodiversity
• Economic Benefits for Humans
• Other Comments
• References
• Photos
• Image Sources

^ Geographic Range

^ Physical Characteristics

The southern pudu is the smallest deer in the world, ranging from 600-825mm in total body length and with a shoulder height from 250-430mm. The coat is composed of long coarse hair. The body color is a buffy agouti pattern. The middle back is reddish brown color, while the face, outer surface of the ears, narial patch, chin and under side are reddish. The fawns have a white spotted coat. The body is low to the ground with short thick legs. The eyes and the ears are small compared with the body size. The tail is almost non-exsistent. Males have short, less than 100cm, spike antlers.

(Nowak, 1997)

^ Natural History

Food Habits

The southern pudu's diet consists of fallen fruit, ferns, vines and small tree foliage. Pudus move slowly along as they look for food, often standing up on their hind legs to test the wind. They reach food by standing on their hind legs and jumping on fallen trees. They also may press down on ferns and saplings until they break off. Pudu bend over bamboo shoots and walk across them while they are horizontal to feed on upper foliage. They feed on the bark of young saplings approximately 6-12 inches off the ground. Pudu can go great lenghts of time without drinking water. It is thought that plants satisfy their need for water.

(Grzimek,1990)

Reproduction

Pudu mate in the fall, November to January, and give birth in the spring. The gestation period is approximately 202-223 days. Only one fawn is born a year. At birth the young weigh less than one kilogram. It takes three months for the fawn to become full sized, and six months for females and eighteen months for males to reach sexual maturity.

(Nowak, 1997)

Behavior

Pudu are solitary animals that only come into contact with others of their species during rut. During rut, the male lays his chin on the female's back, smells her rear end, curls his upper lip, lays his forelegs on her back, and mounts her. Pudu navigate through the dense jungle by a network of well marked trails. The trails lead to spots for resting and feeding. The form dung piles, the majority of which are found near resting places. Each pudu has its own territory, approximately 40-60 acres in area.

(Grzimek, 1990)

Habitat

The climate in the habitat of P. pudu consists of a short dry summer and a mild wet winter. The yearly rainfall is 74-150 inches. Pudu prefer dense and dark underbrush and bamboo groves because they offers protection from predators. They can be found anywhere from sea level to 9,600 feet above.

(Grzimek, 1990)

Biomes: temperate forest & rainforest

^ Conservation/Biodiversity

Pudu are listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The main factors that are threatening P. pudu include the destruction of habitat, the introduction of roe and fallow deer from Europe, and domestic dogs. Pudu cannot compete for food with the roe and fallow deer. The population of pudu has stabilized in Chile as a result of the tapering off of habitat destruction. The Game Preservation Director of Chile's Natural Forest Administration issued a statement saying that P. pudu will survive, as long as its habitat does. P. pudu is not currently threatened with immediate extinction, but its future is uncertain. Despite a study conducted by the World Wildlife Fund, the number of P. pudu in the wild is still unknown.

(Grzimek,1990)

^ Economic Benefits for Humans

Positive

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Negative

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^ Other Comments

(Grzimek, 1990)

^ References

Nowak,R.M. 1997. http://www.press.jhu.edu...ctyla.cervidae.pudu.html

^ Photos

^ Image Sources