Northern pudu

The northern pudu (Pudella mephistophiles, Mapudungun püdü or püdu,^[4] Spanish: pudú, Spanish pronunciation: [puˈðu]) is a species of South American deer native to the Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Ecuador. It is the world's smallest deer^[5] and is classified as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List.^[1] Originally classified under genus Pudu, some authorities consider it to belong to a separate genus (Pudella) from the southern pudu, along with Pudella carlae.^[6]

Northern pudu
Northern pudu (P. mephistophiles)
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Genus:	Pudella
Species:	P. mephistophiles
Binomial name
Pudella mephistophiles (de Winton, 1896)
Geographic range of Pudu mephistophiles
Synonyms
Pudua mephistophiles de Winton, 1896[3]

Description

The northern pudu is the smallest species of deer in the world, standing 32 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in) tall at the shoulder and weighing 3.3 to 6 kg (7.3 to 13.2 lb).^[7] The antlers of the northern pudu grow to about 6 cm (2.4 in) long and curve backward. Its coat tends to be lighter than that of the southern pudu, but the face is darker compared to the coat.^[7]

Range and habitat

The northern pudu is found at higher altitudes than its sister species, from 2,000 to 4,000 m (6,600 to 13,100 ft) above sea level. It has a discontinuous range across the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It inhabits montane forests, high-elevation elfin forests, and humid alpine páramo grasslands above the tree-line. The Marañón dry forests are a gap in the species' range, separating the Ecuadorian population from the Peruvian population in the Peruvian Yungas south of the Marañón River.^[1]