Brocket deer Information & Brocket deer Links at HealthHaven.com

Brocket deer
	Red Brocket (M. americana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia;
Phylum:	Chordata;
Class:	Mammalia;
Order:	Artiodactyla;
Family:	Cervidae;
Subfamily:	Odocoileinae;
Genus:	Mazama;
Species
	see text

For other uses of "Brocket", see Brocket.

Brocket deer are the deer species of the Mazama genus. They are small in size, dwell primarily in forests and found in the Yucatán Peninsula, South America and the island of Trinidad. They are similar to the Duiker species, but unrelated. There are ten known species of brocket deer, all of them closely related.

The genus name Mazama is derived from Nahuatl mazame, the plural of mazatl "deer".^[1]

[edit] Physical description

The Mazama species are all similar in appearance, although the size may vary. They have small rounded bodies, ranging from 70 to 140 cm (28" to 55") in length, and usually have a light or dark brown coloration. Weight ranges from 8 to 30 kg (18 to 66 lbs). The antlers are short and are shed very infrequently.

[edit] Mazama species

Red Brocket (Mazama americana)—The largest species of brocket deer, weighing up to 30 kg (66 lbs). It has a reddish-brown coat.
Small Red Brocket or Bororo (Mazama bororo)
Merida Brocket (Mazama bricenii)
Dwarf Brocket (Mazama chunyi)—This species is a reddish-brown color and has prominent eye glands.
Gray Brocket (Mazama gouazoubira)—Has a greyer coat than the other species.
Pygmy Brocket (Mazama nana)—Small, with short legs.
Fair Brocket or white brocket (Mazama ochroleuca)
Yucatan Brown Brocket (Mazama pandora)
Little Red Brocket (Mazama rufina)—One of the smallest species, the coat is a grey to reddish brown color, the underside is white.
Central American Red Brocket (Mazama temama)

[edit] Behavior

In addition to being nocturnal and their small size, Mazama are shy and thus rarely observed. They are found living alone or in mated pairs within their own small territory, the boundaries usually marked with urine, feces, or secretions from the eye glands. When approached by predators (primarily the Cougar and the Jaguar), being knowledgeable about their territory, they will hide in nearby vegetation. As herbivores, their diet consists of leaves, fruits, and shoots found within their territory.

[edit] Reproduction

Mated pairs who live together remain monogamous. Single male deer will usually mate with nearby females. When males compete for a mate, they fight by biting and stabbing with their short horns. Brocket species that live in tropical areas have no fixed mating season, but those in temperate areas have a distinct rutting period in the autumn.

The gestation period is roughly 200–220 days and females only bear one fawn at a time. The young stay with the mother, keeping concealed until large enough to accompany her. They are normally weaned at about six months of age and reach sexual maturity after a year.

[edit] References

^ Bright, William (2007). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 274. ISBN 0806135980. http://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA274&dq=mazama+Nahuatl+deer&client=firefox-a.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mazama

[0] Bright, William (2007). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 274. ISBN 0806135980. http://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA274&dq=mazama+Nahuatl+deer&client=firefox-a.

[1]