#610: Pudu

The Pudu are the smallest deer in the world, with the northern species measuring only 32-35 cms at the shoulder. He is found in the temperate rainforests of South America, using the thickets and bamboo to protect him from predators. Solitary in nature, he will come in contact with the female only to mate, and leave soon after. Leaves, buds, fruit and other plant matter are his favoured food, although his small stature means he must stand upright on his hind legs to scent for food. He will also climb on low branches.

I am quite disatisfied with this picture, so may draw another - possibly featuring a mother and calf since baby pudu are one of the most adorable things imaginable.

Creature Feature #486: Musk Deer

Musk Deer are more primitive than true Cervids. Instead of antlers, the males bear elongated canine teeth. These are used in fights with other males over females and territories. To attract these females, the males produce musk from a special gland. Alas, this also attracts the attentions of hunters; it can fetch over $40,000 per kg on the black market and is allegedly an aphrodisiac. Each gland only provides a few 10s of grams and although the gland can be extracted without killing the deer, this rarely happens. The female gives birth to a single tiny fawn, who spends his first few months motionless and hiding.

This is a Siberian Musk Deer. Vulnerable due to the aforementioned hunting for the male's musk glands.

Creature Feature #479: Moose

The Moose is the largest extant member of the Deer Family. During rutting season, the male sports a pair of fine antlers. These project out at right angles from his skull, with an average spread of around 200 cms. These antlers are used in territorial demonstrations and occasional fights. The cows favour males displaying a bigger rack. Outside of breeding season, he discards his antlers to conserve energy. Weighing up to 700 kg, he requires a large amount of fodder to sustain his strength and thus spends much of his day foraging. Whilst mainly terrestrial, Moose will enter the water to graze on  sodium-rich aquatic plant life. Moose are native to North America and around the Arctic Circle, including northern Europe and Russia.

An effort was made to establish the Moose in Hokitika, and then in Fiordland, New Zealand. Ten were released: four bulls, six cows, and subsequently disappeared into the dense forest. Although they are thought to have all perished - it was hardly ideal habitat (as a lecturer once told us, the moose would wander into the fiords to feed, discover they were much, much deeper than expected, and drown) - rumours still persist and occasional signs of their continued existence have been found, albeit nothing concrete (such as an actual sighting).