Brocket Deer are a group of deer species found in South America and the Yucatan Peninsula. They are small in size and dwell primarily in forests. They are similar to the Duiker species, but unrelated. There are seven known species of Brocket Deer, all of them closely related. Jump to: navigation, search Subfamilies Capreolinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae Defined strictly, a deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Jump to: navigation, search In biology, the most commonly used definition of species was first coined by Ernst Mayr. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico. ... Jump to: navigation, search A dense growth of softwoods (a forest) in the Sierra Nevada Range of Northern California A forest is an area with a high density of trees (or, historically, a wooded area set aside for hunting). ... Genera Cephalophus Sylvicapra A duiker is any of about 19 small to medium-sized antelope species native to sub-Saharan Africa. ...

Physical description

The Mazama species are all similar in appearance, although the size may vary. They have small rounded bodies, ranging from 70&140; cm in length, and usually have a light or dark brown coloration. Weight ranges from 8–30 kg. The antlers are short and are shed very infrequently.

Mazama species

1. Red Brocket (M. Americana)—The largest species of Brocket Deer, weighing up to 30 kg. It has a reddish-brown coat.
2. Brown Brocket (M. gouzoubira)—Has a greyer coat than the other species.
3. Dwarf Brocket (M. chunyi)—This species is a reddish-brown color and has prominent eye glands.
4. Little Red Brocket (M. rufina)—One of the smallest species, the coat is a grey to reddish brown color, the underside is white.
5. Merioa Brocket (M. bricenii)
6. Pygmy Brocket (M. nana)
7. Yucatan Brown Brocket (M. pandora)

Behavior

In addition to being nocturnal and their small size, Mazama are shy and thus rarely observed. They are found living alone or in mated pairs within their own small territory, the boundaries usually marked with urine, feces, or secretions from the eye glands. When approached by predators (pumas and jaguars are their primary threats), being knowledgeable about their territory, they will hide in nearby vegetation. As herbivores, their diet consists of leaves, fruits, and shoots found within their territory. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... Urine is liquid waste excreted by the kidneys and eventually expelled from the body in a process known as urination. ... Jump to: navigation, search Rabbit feces are usually 0. ... Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of predator-feline found in North, Central, and South America. ... Binomial name Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758) The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large member of the cat family native to warm regions of the Americas. ... A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage In zoology, an herbivore is an animal that is adapted to eat primarily plant matter (rather than meat). ...

Reproduction

Mated pairs who live together remain monogamous. Single male deer will usually mate with nearby females. When males compete for a mate, they fight by biting and stabbing with their short horns. Brocket species that live in tropical areas have no fixed mating season, but those in temperate areas have a distinct rutting period in the autumn. In monogamy (Greek: monos = single/only and gamos = marriage) a person has only one spouse at a time (as opposed to polygamy). ...

The gestation period is roughly 200–220 days and females only bear one doe at a time. The young stay with the mother, keeping concealed until large enough to accompany her. They are normally weaned at about six months of age and reach sexual maturity after a year. Jump to: navigation, search Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ...

External links

• Mazama or Brocket Deer