Description

• Physical description of the animal (with at least 3 pictures) : from the physical appearance I would say that the Pudu is a cross between a capybara and a woodland deer. They measure at 34 inches and weigh around 10-34 lbs. Their antlers are very small in comparison to their cousins and appear as small stubs on the male’s head. 

• Point key characteristics of species: the species is nicknamed the tiny deer. The animal looks like a miniaturized version of a northern america woodland deer.  

• Size : 34 inches

• Weight: 10-34 lbs

• Life Span: 10 years in the wild

• Differences between Males and Females: females are absent of antlers and the male antlers are not forked like a common deer.

Diet

• What exactly does it eat it is an herbivore, roots and tubers, flowers, fungus, wood, bark, or stems

• How often does it eat : average transit time for a meal is 29.9 hours

• How does it get it’s food: they are browser eaters so they eat what they find on the floor growing. 

• Any special foods: they will eat fungi 

Social Structure

• Live in packs or solo : mostly solitary but can be found in small groups up to 3

• Roles within community: males are polygynous and mate with more than one female. The female raises the young and the males are not involved in the upbringing. 

• Male or Female led groups: both solitary 

• Individuals that make up the group: a female and her young

• How do they interact with each other: males and females only interact for a few days until mating and then they go their separate ways.

Reproduction

• How often do they mate:. Females give birth once a year. 

• How many mates do they have: males are polygynous and mate more than one female at a given time.

• Time of year for mating: april to june or november to january

• Mating rituals: the male will hang around the female for 2-3 days bumping his pelvis into her and then mating for short intervals.

• Number of offspring produces at a time: 1-2

• Any unique characteristics of their mating: the male has more than one female at a time but the female does not.

Development

• Stages of development: from birth the baby is raised by the mother for around 8 months. After that they reach sexual maturity at 6-18 months. 

• How old before sexual maturity: 6-18 months

• Activities and environment of stages: they show high levels of energy in their days and exhibit playful behavior. 

• Difference between males and females: males are shown with stubby horns and females have none. 

Causes of death

• Predation: pudu deer are prey to puma, domestic dogs, patagonia foxes, spotted cats, eagle owls, and kodkods

• Sexual Competition: not shown

• Disease: have been shown to carry lice, parasites including, gastrointestinal nematodes. As well as flies and ticks that can also carry diseases in their bodies.

• Other causes: are killed by hunters and by vehicles as well as other animals. 

Competition

• Inter-species – within the species: the pudu deer is known to be solitary and territorial so most often they are found fighting over territory.

• Intra-species – with other species: competes with other deer for territory. This species of deer known as the chital

• What do they compete over: territory

• Effect of invasive species: known to carry fleas and ticks that can cause harm by carrying various parasites and diseases. 

IUCN Rating

• What is the rating? : vulnerable

• Population: less than 10,000

• Population Trend: going down due to habitat loss and predators

Impact of Humans

• What impacts have occurred: economic impact for humans is positive due to their use in hunting and in zoos. But it is also known to cause disease in people who eat pudu meat due to them harboring harmful bacteria in their bodies that are damaging if ingested. 

• Potential Future impacts: habitat loss and climate change. 

• How long have humans been interacting with species: 1850

• Efforts being made to minimize impacts: zoos set up breeding programs to try and help the numbers of the southern pudu to stabilize.