Red brocket facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red brocket
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Mazama
Species:	americana

The red brocket (Mazama americana) is a type of brocket deer. These deer live in forests across South America, from northern Argentina all the way up to Colombia and the Guianas. You can also find them on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. They used to live on Tobago too, but they are not there anymore.

About the Red Brocket Deer

Red brockets are a kind of deer. Scientists are still learning about them. They are trying to figure out how different groups of red brockets are related. Because of this, we don't have enough information to know if they are in danger. This is why they are listed as "data deficient." Even so, the red brocket is the most common type of brocket deer.

Living with Other Deer

Red brockets often live in the same areas as the smaller Amazonian brown brocket. This is called being "sympatric." Even though they share space, there are usually fewer brown brockets around. Scientists also study their chromosomes. This helps them understand how different deer species are related. It seems there might be different types of red brockets that we don't know about yet.

What Red Brockets Look Like

The red brocket has a reddish-brown body. Its head and neck are a lighter grayish-brown. Its legs are partly blackish. The inside of its upper legs and the underside of its tail are white. Baby red brockets, called fawns, have white spots. They do not have blackish legs. Only adult male red brockets have antlers. These antlers are small and look like spikes.

Size of the Red Brocket

This species is the largest of all brocket deer. They stand about 67 to 80 centimeters (26 to 31 inches) tall at the shoulder. Their body length, from head to tail, is about 105 to 144 centimeters (41 to 57 inches). These deer usually weigh between 24 and 48 kilograms (53 to 106 pounds). Some very large males can weigh as much as 65 kilograms (143 pounds)!

What Red Brockets Eat and Do

Red brockets mostly eat plants. They like to "browse," which means they nibble on leaves, grasses, and soft roots. They especially love to eat fruit and seeds when they can find them. They also eat fungi, like mushrooms. If fruit and fungi are hard to find, they might eat stems, bark, or even small amounts of animal matter.

How They Behave

Red brockets usually like to be alone. They live in thick, dense jungles. When they get scared, they make a snorting sound. They might also stomp their hooves on the ground to warn others.

Red Brockets and Other Deer

Sometimes, red brockets have been known to have babies with another type of deer, the Mazama nana. This has been seen when they are kept in zoos or other places where they are cared for by humans.

Gallery

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  Mazama americana

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  Red brocket heart, specimen clarified for visualization of anatomical structures

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