Swamp deer
| Swamp deer | ||||||||||||
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Swamp deer |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Blastocerus | ||||||||||||
| Wagner , 1844 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Blastocerus dichotomus | ||||||||||||
| ( Illiger , 1815) |
The swamp deer ( Blastocerus dichotomus ) is a deer widespread in South America on river banks .
features
With a head body length of 153 to 195 centimeters, a shoulder height of 110 to 127 centimeters and a weight of 80 to 150 kilograms, the marsh deer is the largest deer in South America. The fur is a strong reddish brown during the mating season, at other times a little paler. The legs are dark brown to black in color. The antlers are dichotomously branched and have four ends per pole. As an adaptation to life on swampy ground, the hooves are greatly enlarged. As with the distantly related white-tailed deer of North America, the ears are greatly enlarged.
distribution
The habitat of the marsh deer are river and lake banks with dense reeds and wet savannas with frequent floods. Such habitats can be found in northern Argentina , Paraguay , Bolivia , Peru and southeastern Brazil . There are no swamp deer in the Amazon rainforest.
The largest deposits are found today in the catchment areas of the Río Paraguay and Paraná . Three quarters of the population live in the Pantanal .
Way of life
Marsh deer are crepuscular and live as solitary animals or in small groups of a maximum of five animals. Unlike other deer, this species has never been observed to fight males over females. In general, male marsh deer seem to have very little potential for aggression with one another. The diet consists of all kinds of aquatic plants, including water lilies and reeds.
Threat and protection
The swamp deer has become rare due to uncontrolled hunting. In some areas of its range, such as Uruguay and the coastal regions of Brazil, it may have been completely eradicated. The IUCN classifies the swamp deer as endangered.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Blastocerus dichotomus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Varela et al , 2002. Retrieved on 11 May, 2006.