Common Name: Pudu Scientific Name: Pudu pudu
VULNERABLE Pudu Distribution: South America
Habitat: Forest Height: Approx. 9cm Weight: Up to 13kg Diet: Herbivorous
The pudu is the smallest deer in the world, measuring 35 – 45 cm at the shoulder and weighing 6.5 – 13.5 kg. The males grow small antlers which reach a length of 5 – 9 cm when they are fully grown. They are very agile creatures and their small size enables them to move through dense vegetation with ease. When threatened they run in a zig-zag pattern to confuse predators. The pudu has a red-orange coat and is lighter in colour underneath. The fawns are speckled when born which ensures they blend in with the forest floor. The pudu is found in Chile and Argentina, where it can be found in the lower ranges of the Andes mountains ranging up to a height of 1700 m. The habitat is temperate rainforest with a bamboo rich understorey. The pudu is small enough to be able to climb trees which enables it to escape predators and to reach food that would otherwise be out of reach. Female pudu mature at 1 year of age. Males do not mate until they are 1.5 – 2 years of age. They need to wait until they are large enough to compete for females. The female has a gestation period of 7 months and produces a single fawn. The fawn stays hidden for the first part of its life and stays with its mother for 8 – 12 months before becoming independent. Pudu move around or in pairs, they do not form social groups. When threatened the pudu produces a barking alarm call.