Pudu!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

Tiny deer:







Habitat
Southern pudu inhabit dense, temperate rain forests containing thick bamboo understories from sea level to 5,500 feet (1,675 m)
Height and Weight
14-18 inches (35-45 cm) high at the shoulder

14-30 pounds (6.5-13.5 kg)

Life Span
Life span in the wild is estimated at 12-14 years; southern pudu live in zoos about 15 years

Diet
In the wild: Herbaceous vegetation including bamboo, leaves, bark, twigs, buds, blossoms, fruit and berries.

At the zoo: Alfalfa, hay, herbivore pellets, some fruits and vegetables and browse.

Reproduction
Females (does) become sexually mature as early as 1 year. Although males reach sexual maturity shortly after females, they often don’t breed until 18-24 months of age when they become large and seasoned enough to successfully compete for females with other mature male pudus. Southern pudu mate in the fall and give birth in the spring (November-January in the southern hemisphere). Gestation is approximately seven months. Females usually bear a single fawn weighing about 29 ounces (900 g).

Life Cycle
A fawn usually remains hidden for a number of days after birth, only emerging to suckle when the mother visits. After a few weeks, the fawn joins its mother in her normal range. Young stay with their mother for eight to 12 months. Male pudu do not contribute to the rearing of young. Young southern pudu lose their white spots after about 3 to 5 months of age. At 8 months, males begin growing their first spike antlers which eventually reach 2-4 inches (5-9 cm) in length when they are 7 years old.

Southern Pudu - World's Smallest Deer!
The southern pudu, called by the Chilean venadito, is the smallest deer in the world. The northern pudu is a close second. With its very short legs and small, low-slung body, the southern pudu can easily move through dense vegetation and among rocks to escape predators. Predators include puma, fox, condor and domestic dogs. When pursued, southern pudu run in a zigzag pattern and will climb trunks of trees that are leaning over streams or bluffs to escape their pursuer.

Using Smell to Stay in Touch
In the wild, southern pudu are primarily crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) and nocturnal, and live in dense underbrush and bamboo thickets. They tend to live alone or in pairs. These deer are almost never found in groups of more than three animals. Scent marking is an important mode of communication. More common among males than females, scent marking is accomplished by secretions from the preorbital and frontal scent glands, as well as by urination and defecation in specific sites. Scent glands are sacs that open on the skin surface and discharge a strong-smelling secretion. Nearly all deer species posses these scent glands. One theory explaining why deer possess these glands is that the scent, when spread on trees or leaves, enables other deer to recognize their presence and marks their territory.

http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/pudu/pudu.htm

[DrWeird]

1. Feh.

Thought it would be more Star Wars shit jokes.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. gotcha

:beer:

[da_chimperor]

2. OMG! OMG! They look SOOOOOO tasty!

:evilgrin:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Double pudu on you!

tweak

[StClone]

3. Kudzu

Meet Kudzu eater of countryside.

Kudzuudzu is native to Japan and China, however it grows well in the Southeastern United States. Kudzu is a vine that when left uncontrolled will eventually grow over almost any fixed object in its proximity including other vegetation. Kudzu, over a period of several years will kill trees by blocking the sunlight. For this and other reasons many would like to find ways to get rid of it. The flowers which bloom in late summer have a very pleasant fragrance and the shapes and forms created by kudzu vines growing over trees and bushes can be pleasing to the eye.

The following statement appeared in an agricultural bulletin in 1928, about 20 years after it was first introduced in Florida as a forage crop. "Kudzu is not without disadvantages. It is slow and expensive in getting established, is exacting in requiring only moderate grazing and mowing, is deceptive about its real yield, especially to those who do not know it well, and sometimes becomes a pest."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Hey!

Where'd you get a pic of my house?!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. tweak

for the cute critters