Hippocamelus antisensis (d'Orbigny, 1834)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Cervidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-443 : 437

40.

North Andean Huemul

Hippocamelus antisensis

French: Taruca / German: Nordlicher Andenhirsch / Spanish: Huemul septentrional

Other common names: Northern Huemul, Peruvian Heumul, Taruca

Taxonomy. Cervus antisensis d’Orbigny, 1834 ,

Bolivian Andes.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. The Andes in Peru, Bolivia, and NW Argentina.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 140-145 cm, tail 11-12 cm, shoulder height 75-80 cm (males) and 70-75 cm (females); weight 55-60 kg (males) and 45-55 kg (females). Medium-sized deer, with a stocky, short-legged body. Tail relatively short. Ears long and pointed. The coat is sandy-gray to grayish-brown, with a white rump-patch, a dark band over eyes, a whitish patch around the muzzle, and a pale throat. The hairs are coarse, long, and brittle. Fawns are unspotted. Permanent dentition of 34 teeth. Preorbital, tarsal, and interdigital glands are present; the preorbital gland is very large. Antlers of adults are forked and 22-25 cm long. Antler cycle is highly synchronized, with antler casting around September and velvet cleaning around January.

Habitat. It lives at high elevations, up to 5000 m above sea level, in open landscapes near rock outcrops, in alpine grasslands and scrublands. It seems to prefer rocky areas of sparse vegetation with nearby water sources, usually a small ravine, lagoon or marsh.

Food and Feeding. It is an intermediate feeder with a tendency to select more digestible plants. Its diet mainly consists of small forbs and young grasses.

Breeding. Females likely reach puberty at about 18 months of age. Reproduction is markedly seasonal, with a rutting season around June-July, during the driest period of the year. The mean length of pregnancy is about 240 days. The peak of births is in February-March, in the middle of or towards the end of the rainy season. Females usually give birth to a singleton, but twins are recorded in particularly productive habitats.

Activity patterns. Mainly diurnal; most active in early morning and afternoon.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. It is very agile on steep slopes and rocks. During the day it makes elevational movements, ascending toward noon and descending in late afternoon and night. It forms small, fluid, mixed groups led by a dominant female. These open groups, of three to six animals, which continuously change composition, are part of local cohesive population units.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix I. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List and decreasing. The total population is around 12,000-17,000 individuals, of which 9000-13,000 are in Peru. Habitatloss, competition with livestock, and predation by dogs are the main threats.

Bibliography. Barrio (2010), Barrio & Ferreyra (2008), Merkt (1987), Roe & Rees (1976).

Figures

Distribution. The Andes in Peru , Bolivia , and NW Argentina .