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Pudu
The pudu (Pudu spp.), considered to be the world's smallest deer, is a native of Argentina and Chile in South America. There are two species of pudu: the Northern Pudu (Pudu mephistophiles), which stands about 12 to 14 inches (32 to 35 cm) at the shoulder; and the Southern or Chilean Pudu (Pudu pudu or Pudu puda), which averages between 14 to 16 inches (36 to 41 cm).
Both species of pudu subsist on a diet of grass, leaves, and fallen fruit. In the wild, their life expectancy is between eight and ten years. Both species are endangered, primarily due to hunting and habitat loss from human agriculture and land development.
The pudu has several interesting characteristics that distinguish it from other deer. It is able to climb fallen trees, and it is sometimes forced to do so, both to escape predators and reach food. Because of its small size, it is often forced to balance on its hind legs to reach foliage. When threatened, it barks in alarm.
Because it lives in the dense forests of South America, it requires an efficient way to travel throughout the undergrowth. Pudu maintain a complex system of paths and trails that allow them to quickly get from one place to another. Such paths often lead to excellent places to rest or find food.
It mates April to June, its gestation takes 200 to 220 days, and one (occasionally two) fawns are born.
The pudu in pop culture
The pudu was featured on the Planet Earth episode Seasonal Forests, alongside one of its predators the kodkod.
The pudu has been popularized as the mascot of the weblog maintained by stand-up comedian and Jeopardy! champion Bob Harris, who often accompanies pictures of the pudu and other small animals with whimsical stories.
An unnamed pudu has also appeared as a minor character in the webcomic Little Dee by Christopher Baldwin.
The pudu was mentioned in Daniel Dennet's 2006 book "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;" contrasting the commonplace but fictional conceptual image of a unicorn with the real, but relatively rare, idea of a pudu.
Bob Harris suggested a song they sing when no one is looking:
Pudu, PuduTiny deer from peruduAlways in a good mudu'Cos they know more than yudu
External links
UltimateUngulate.com entry on the Southern Pudu
Animal Planet page on the Southern Pudu
Bristol Zoo page on the Southern Pudu
BobHarris.com "pudublogging" section
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Pudu
