Southern pudu  (Pudu puda)

Description

The deer belonging to the Pudu genus are the smallest deer in the world (4), so tiny that people have even captured them for pets, thereby contributing to their decline in the wild (5).  Similar in appearance to the northern pudu (Pudu mephistopheles), but slightly smaller, the southern pudu has a short, glossy, reddish-brown to dark-brown coat, with underparts and legs slightly lighter, and lips and insides of the ears orangish (4) (6). Fawns are spotted with white, probably for camouflage. With a round body and short legs, the low-slung form is similar to many small forest ungulates, and thought to be an adaptation to slipping more easily through dense undergrowth and bamboo thickets (7). The eyes and ears are small and the tail is very short (4). Males sport short, simple spiked antlers that are shed annually in July (6).

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