Newborn Exam on Pudu

Seen with the mother, this baby is a southern pudu, a tiny species of deer that is only 14 to 18 inches tall. She was born at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in the Emerald Forest Aviary in the Range of the Jaguar Exhibit.

The bottom two photos were taken during a newborn exam, where the baby was weighed and checked by the vets to make sure that she was healthy. A close-up on the face shows the large pre-orbital gland which is used by the species to scent mark their territory. As all deer, the pudu has spots as a fawn, which fade into the adult brown.

Pudu are very secretive animals that live in wet, temperate forests. They stand upright on their hind legs and even climb low-lying vegetation to eat leaves, grass, fruit, seeds, bark, and buds.

Photo by Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens