Brocket deer

Graumazama ( Mazama gouazoubira )

The brocket deer or Mazamas ( Mazama ) are a genus of mammal of the deer family ( Cervidae ). There are waldbewohnende animals that live in Central and South America. The exact Artanzahl is controversial, the IUCN recognizes ten separate species, the reference Mammal Species of the World, there are nine.

The name Mazama, which is not only the scientific genus name, but is also used for example for the German and English name, the Nahuatl word for " deer ", that is native to Mexico.

Features

The antler is completely unbranched and consists of only two short spears. This recall these deer to Duckerantilopen with which they are, however, not closely related. The size varies considerably between species. With a body height of 40 centimeters and a weight of 10 kilograms, the Zwergmazama is not much bigger than a hare; however, the two largest species, the red and the Graumazama, with 70 centimeters height and 25 kg body weight are as large as a deer. The coat is single-colored and varies depending on the type between light gray and reddish-brown tint.

Habitat

Brocket deer are little known and rarely seen. The reason is that they have so much hidden habitats, are camouflaged with their coat colors in the undergrowth and remain motionless when meeting a human being.

Way of life

Little is known about the way of life. You seem to live as a loner who come together only during the mating season. Their food are leaves, grasses and fruits.

The types

The two larger species are widespread across the lowland forests of America.

• The Großmazama or Rotmazama ( Mazama americana) inhabits the rainforests of Mexico through Central America to Brazil and Uruguay. The animals from Mexico are sometimes performed as Mazama pandora temama and the Yucatán Peninsula as Mazama as their own species.
• The Graumazama or Braunmazama ( Mazama gouazoubira ) is missing in Central America, but otherwise has the same distribution area as the Großmazama.

In contrast, the other smaller species live in the forests on the mountain slopes of the Andes. They sometimes climb up to heights of 5000 m.

• Red Zwergmazama ( Mazama rufina )
• Zwergmazama, Kleinstmazama or Small Graumazama ( Mazama Chunyi )
• Kleinmazama ( Mazama nana )
• Small Rotmazama ( Mazama bororo ), this species was described in 1996 from coastal forests of southeastern Brazil