Mazama nemorivaga, Rafinesque, 1817

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 : 441

46.

Amazonian Brown Brocket

Mazama nemorivaga

French: Cariacou de Cayenne / German: Amazonien-Mazama / Spanish: Corzuela amazénica

Other common names: Amazonian Gray Brocket

Taxonomy. Cervus nemorivagus F. Cuvier, 1817 ,

Cayenne ( French Guiana).

Long considered a subspecies of M. gouazoubira , it is now considered a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. From N & E Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas to E Ecuador, E Peru, Amazonian Brazil, and N Bolivia; an isolated population in San José I ( Panama).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 75-100 cm, tail 6-11 cm, shoulder height 50 cm; weight 14-16 kg. Small to medium-sized brocket, with relatively small rounded ears. Large eyes and orbital cavities. The coat is dark brown dorsally, including the rump and tail. The flanks are faded brown. Antlers are 3-11 cm long. The diploid number of chromosomes is 66-70.

Habitat. It inhabits the tropical broadleaf moist forests of Amazonia, avoiding the flooded forests. Up to 1500 m in Peru. Most localities for Amazonian Brown Brockets are from tropical and subtropical broadleaf moist forests of the Amazon Basin. In addition, there are a few records from the desert and xeric scrubland biomes. They occur in non-flooded forests and are rare or absent in seasonally flooded forests.

Food and Feeding. It is mainly a fruit-eater, but also feeds on a variety of leaves and shoots.

Breeding. Mating occurs year-round. In Peru births have two peaks, January-April and July-October. In Venezuela births are mainly in July-August and November. There is a postpartum estrus. No twinning was observed and half of the females were pregnant at any given time. Most pregnant females were adults between one and two years old.

Activity patterns. It is active throughout the day, although perhaps more nocturnal than some other species of Mazama .

Movements, Home range and Social organization. It is a solitary species. They are found foraging alone or in mated pairs within their own small territory, the boundaries of which are usually marked with urine or feces, or secretions from the eye glands.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List forits relatively large distribution range. Hunting pressure and habitat destruction for cattle ranching and agriculture are major threats.

Bibliography. Branan et al. (1985), Gayot et al. (2004), Rossi & Duarte (2008), Rossi et al. (2010).

Figures

44. Common Brown Brocket (Mazama gouazoubira), 45. Yucatan Brown Brocket (Mazama pandora), 46. Amazonian Brown Brocket (Mazama nemorivaga), 47. Common Red Brocket (Mazama americana), 48. Mexican Red Brocket (Mazama temama), 49. Small Red Brocket (Mazama bororo), 50. Lesser Brocket (Mazama nanus), 51. Little Red Brocket (Mazama rufina), 52. Merida Brocket (Mazama bricenii), 53. Common Dwarf Brocket (Mazama chunyi)

Distribution. From N & E Colombia , Venezuela , and the Guianas to E Ecuador , E Peru , Amazonian Brazil , and N Bolivia ; an isolated population in San José I ( Panama ).