Central American red brocket

The Central American red brocket (Mazama temama) is a species of brocket deer ranging from southern Mexico, through Central America, to northwestern Colombia.^[2]

Central American red brocket
Male at Phoenix Zoo.
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Genus:	Mazama
Species:	M. temama
Binomial name
Mazama temama (Kerr, 1792)
Subspecies
M. temama temama (nominate) M. temama cerasina M. temama reperticia

Taxonomy

In 1792 Robert Kerr originally described it as a unique separate species as opposed to a subspecies.^[3] It was treated as a subspecies of the red brocket (Mazama americana) from South America, but its karyotype has 2n = 50, while the latter's was initially described as having 2n = 68–70.^[1] However, a more recent description gives the red brocket a variable karyotype with 2n ranging from 48 to 54, suggesting it represents several species.^[4] It is sympatric with the Yucatan brown brocket (Odocoileus pandora) over part of its range. Additionally, it was estimated that Mazama temama diverged from other red brocket deer about 2 MYA. This was estimated through analysis of concatenated sequences from the mitochondrial gene ND2, Cytb, and tRNA-Pro-Control region.^[5]

Habitat

The species is found in primary and secondary tropical forest at altitudes from sea level to 2800 m.^[1]

Conservation

In Mexico, it is regarded as an agricultural pest by bean farmers.^[1] It is probably threatened by hunting and deforestation.^[1] Due to not much being known about the species, it is rated as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List.