Southern Pudu

Southern pudus, also commonly referred to as Chilean pudus, are a small species of deer. They measure 1-1.5 feet tall at the shoulder and are covered in coarse dark red-brown fur. They have short legs with small hooves at the end. Their hooves have a special gland between their two hoof digits that they use for scent marking. They have a shorter snout with another set of scent glands, the preorbital glands, that sit just in front of the corner of their eyes. On top of their head, they have big, rounded ears.

Males grow antlers every year in summer. They are white, thin and end in a sharp point, only growing up to 3.5 inches tall. Females do not grow these antlers. Baby pudu are easily distinguished because they have three rows of white spots to help them camouflage in the foliage. They lose those spots by 8 weeks of age.

Southern pudu are found in the southern most parts of South America. They are only found in southern Chile, including Chiloé Island and southwestern Argentina. They live in temperate rainforests and deciduous forests. They prefer areas with thick vegetation, like bamboo thickets, to use for cover while they feed along the edge of the forest.

Southern pudu, like all deer, are strictly herbivorous. They eat a variety of vegetation preferentially around the edges of the forest floor rather than deep inside the forest. They will consume bamboo, ferns, vines, grasses, nuts, fungi, and even succulents.

All species of deer have very large and complex digestive systems. Everything from their lips to their teeth and intestines are specially developed for being highly selective feeders. Pudus have a large bias towards high-quality food because of their high energy demands.

Southern pudus are crepuscular, meaning they are most active during the late afternoons to evenings, and then again in the early mornings. They build makeshift tunnels through thick foliage and brush to move quickly and evade predators. They are solitary animals, defending their territory from other pudus. While opposite genders are tolerant of sharing part of their territory with each other, males will defend against other males and females defend against other females.

Pudus breed from October through February. Males will stay with the female for a few days while mating, but will then move on to other females. Females give birth to only one fawn at a time, weighing 1-2 lbs. at birth, and measuring 7-8 inches tall. Fawns will reach adult size at two months of age and will stay with their mother until 8 months of age.

The Oakland Zoo is proud to have two resident southern pudus: Guillermo and Riley. Guillermo and Riley were both born in 2020 at two separate AZA-accredited institutions. They both came to Oakland in 2021 in hopes of finding a love match. Since southern pudus are endangered, it’s important for managed care facilities to maintain a stable population to help support the wild population. In 2022 we welcomed baby Teodoro, and in 2023 we welcomed baby Nico. Both Teo and Nico stayed with their mother for their first year before being ready to depart to their new forever homes.

Oakland Zoo participates in the Species Survival Plan for southern pudus. Species Survival Plans (SSPs) are a program managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). These programs are created to appropriately manage ex situ populations of different wildlife. SSPs are created for specific species by experts in the field who seek to maximize genetic diversity as well as appropriately manage the demographic distribution and long-term sustainability of these ex situ populations. These programs can often be critical for the sustainability of wild populations as well.