Taxonomy
Kingdom: animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammalia
Family: Cervidae Goldfuss,
Order : artiodactyla
Genus: pudu
Species: pudu pudu
Evolution
All Subspecies : northern pudu and southern pudu
How long has this species been in existence: 1850 (date humans discovered them)
Closest living relative to this species: new world deer species such as the capreolus
3 ancestors of this species: Libralces(extinct) agalmaceros (extinct) bretzia (extinct)
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.
Description of the Habitat
How much rainfall: 1,118mm a year
Plants: low hanging vegetation with cover for the southern pudu and evergreen rainforest for the northern pudu
Animals: natural predators are pumas, patagonia foxes, domestic dogs, spotted cats, eagle owls, and kodkods
Temperature: average temp of 84 ०F in summer
Terrain evergreen rainforest and low hanging vegetation
Distribution
Continents found: southern Chile and southwestern Argentina
Invasive at all? no
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.