One of the most cute and incredibly tiny representatives of the deer family is considered pood. A miniature animal can be found in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Colombia. Due to active persecution by people, small deer disappeared from many regions of our planet.
Main characteristics
A distinctive feature of the deer pood is their small growth and weight. An adult can grow up to 93 cm in length and 35 cm in height, while the mass will be no more than 11 kg. Animals of deer families have a squat head, a short neck and outwardly not at all like their relatives. Pudu looks in appearance much in common with the masts, since their back is curved with an arc, the body is covered with thick fur, and the ears are round and short. Miniature deer has no tail, and horns are very short (up to 10 cm). Due to the presence of a kind of crest from the hair of a horn, it is difficult to notice. Small eyes and ears (in comparison with the body) look cute and unique.
Deer pood are dark gray-brown and dark red-brown. Some animals have fuzzy light spots on the body and a reddish abdomen. A tiny animal from the deer family prefers to live on the slopes of the mountains and at an altitude of up to 2000 meters. Mammals love hidden areas and wilds.
In general, the pood deer looks dense, rounded and has short legs.
Features of lifestyle
Poodus differ in their caution and secrecy. The active period in animals begins in the morning and ends at night. Individuals live either alone or in pairs. Each deer has its own small area in which it lives. In order to note the “own possessions” of Pooda rubs his forehead on trees and other areas (special odorous glands are located on his head).
Nutrition and reproduction
Animals love to eat the bark of trees, branches, juicy grass and fresh leaves, as well as fruits and seeds. With such a diet, deer pood can do without liquid for a long time. Sometimes, due to small stature, greenhouses cannot reach the branches on which juicy fruits grow.
Starting from six months, females can multiply. Search for a couple is closer to autumn. Pregnancy lasts for 200-223 days. As a result, a small cub (only) appears, the weight of which does not reach even 0.5 kg. In the early days, the baby is very weak, he is periodically visited by his mother to feed. After several weeks, the cub can already leave the shelter and follow the relatives. In 90 days, the baby turns into an adult individual.
