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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing pudus. If you can imagine a deer the size of a housecat then you’ve thought of a pudu. There are currently two classified pudu species: northern pudus and southern pudus. Southern pudus average 16 inches (41cm) in height at the shoulder and 25 pounds (11kg) in weight while northern pudus average 13 inches (33cm) in height and 10 pounds (4.5kg) in weight making them the smallest true deer species alive today. Technically mouse deer are the smallest living hoofed animals, however, though they have “deer” in their common name, they’re not classified in the deer family.

Pudus live in South America. Southern pudus live in forests with dense undergrowth in which they can hide. They’ll create tunnels through the undergrowth that run throughout their territory. In general, they’re found below 6,500 foot (2,000m) elevations, which is sort of the opposite of their northern neighbors. Northern pudus live between 6,500 and 13,000 feet (2,000 to 4,000m) above sea level in mountainous forests and grasslands above the treeline.

Both species enjoy fresh, green vegetation that grows along the edge of forests. Their small stature can make obtaining these leaves, ferns, grasses, and shrubs somewhat difficult, so pudus will actually rear up on their back legs to make themselves taller, and they’ll also climb on top of fallen logs to assist them in obtaining food. They also eat fallen fruit from the forest floor. Their tiny size also provides them the ability to easily hide from predators, however, when they are spotted, they’ll be eaten by pumas, foxes, owls, and even domestic dogs.

Pudus will happily run and prance on a cool day. It’s thought that they don’t tolerate heat very well because they’re often found seeking out shade. They’ve also been described as being more active on windy days. Southern pudus tend to be uniform in their coloration while the Northern pudu’s head is often dark brown to nearly black. Male pudus grow antlers which may be up to 4 inches (10cm) long. These are shed each year and regrowth begins again around July.

In general, males and females are usually ready to mate by about one year of age with males probably taking a little longer to reach sexual maturity. The breeding season is from April to June and fawns are born from November to January. The babies take about 210 days to develop and one or two will be born at a time. They’ll stay with their mom until they’re ready to have babies of their own about a year later. They’ll have to move to a new territory since pudus are solitary, only really coming together for the breeding season and sometimes while eating. On average they live to be about ten years old in the wild.

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