Other common names of Hippocamelus antisensis include North Andean deer, turuka, taruga, guamal, Peruvian huemul, and North huemul. A captive specimen of H.antisensis lived for 10 years and 7 months (Nowak 1983). Another species of Andean deer is recognized, Hippocamelus bisulcus. It is found further south in the Andes of Chile and western Argentina. The ranges of the two species are separated by a large gap.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
The Andean deer has been on the Endangered list since 1976. Population decline has been linked to poaching. The number of deer killed by white hunters in Peru is probably very small, but the Indians who live throughout the year at these altitudes undoubtedly take a considerable toll (Whitehead 1972). Also, loss of habitat to agriculture at lower altitudes, competition with domestic stock at higher altitudes, and loss of habitat due to logging operations may also play a role in their decline.
US Federal List: endangered
CITES: appendix i
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable
There may be a conflict with the deer eating crops at lower altitudes and competing with domestic stock animals at higher altitudes (Putman 1988).
The Andean deer positively benefits humans by being a source of food. Humans also hunt the animal for its fur and antlers
The Andean Deer is a herbivore, and its diet is composed mostly of sedges and grasses found between the rocks on high peaks. These deer also move change elevation according to the time of the year. During the rainy season (December to May), they head for higher elevations in search of food (Whitehead 1972).
The Andean Deer ranges through Andean Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. In the Andes, they are found from 12 to 28 degrees South latitude (Geist 1998).
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
The Andean deer lives at high elevations (4,100 to 5,000 meters) on rock outcrops. It is rarely found below elevations of 3,960 meters. Home ranges exceed 2km in length. The deer habitat exhibit large daily temperature ranges and large amounts of seasonal rainfall.
Terrestrial Biomes: mountains
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 10.6 years.
The Andean deer has a stocky, thick, and short-legged body. A characteristic of the teeth morphology is the presence of canines. Males possess antlers that fork once and the front prong is usually shorter. The antlers are also relatively small in size. Antlers in large males measure 22 to 27cm. In males the ears are lengthy and narrow and the tail extends less than 10 percent of length of the body. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced. The shoulder height of males is 74-77cm, while that of females is 69-71cm. Both sexes have speckled yellowish gray brown fur and a tail that is dark brown on top and white on the undersurface (Nowak 1983). Also, male and females have a pale colored throat, a dark band fur coloration over the eyes, and a light band around the muzzle (Geist 1998).
Range mass: 45 (low) kg.
Average mass: 68.6 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Reproduction is seasonal and rutting peaks in June and July during the driest season. The gestation period is 240 days; this is unusually long for a small deer (Geist 1998).
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average gestation period: 255 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.
The taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), also known as the Peruvian guemal, north Andean deer, north Andean huemul, northern huemul or northern guemal, is a mid sized deer species that inhabits the high regions of the Andes mountains in South America. The common name taruca means "deer" in both the Quechua and Aymara languages, though these are not interrelated. The taruca is closely related to the southern guemal (H. bisulcus), the only other member of the Hippocamelus genus.
The taruca is a medium-sized deer with a heavy body. It measures 128 to 146 cm (50 to 57 in) from head to rump, with an 11 to 13 cm (4.3 to 5.1 in) tail, and stands 69 to 80 cm (27 to 31 in) tall at the shoulder. Adults weigh between 69 and 80 kg (152 and 176 lb). As with most deer, males are significantly larger than females.[3]
It has sandy brown fur over most of its body, with white patches on the underside of its head, neck, tail, and genital region, and on the inner surface of its fore-legs. While females often have a dark brown area on the forehead, facial markings are much clearer in the males. The exact patterns vary between different males, but in general there is a black mask behind the nose, and a black Y or V pattern over the forehead and snout.[3]
As other deer, only male tarucas typically grow antlers. The longer tine of a full grown male generally measures around 30 cm (12-inch). Unlike other South American deer, except for the closely related huemul, the antlers consist of just two tines which branche from the base, and with the posterior tine being the larger. Males also possess canine teeth in their upper jaw, which females usually, but not always, lack.[3]
Tarucas are found only in the Andes mountains, from central Peru, through Bolivia and extreme north-eastern Chile, and into northern Argentina.
Peru holds the largest population of tarucas in South America. In 2008 it was suggested that between 9,000 and 12,000 individuals lived across the central Andes mountains. The Huancabamba depression marks the northern limit of the species distribution. Tarucas live at altitudes ranging from 3,500 m (11,500 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft), and at lower altitudes within that range, might share territory with the Peruvian whitetail deer that are also endemic to the region. In Argentina, tarucas are found at altitudes of 2,000 m (6,600 ft) to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) where they occupy grasslands marked by occasional shrubs and rocky outcrops, typically near water.[1] There are no recognised subspecies.
Tarucas are mainly found in rocky slopes, queñual forests and at puna grasslands by the side of glaciar lakes at high altitude mountain terrains. Despite living in grasslands, the taruca feeds mainly on the local bushes, shrubs, and herbs for much of the year, but supplements this diet with grasses during the rainy season. Plants commonly eaten include dwarf gentian, ragworts, lupins, senna, valerian, and clubmosses. Tarucas may also feed on agricultural crops, such as alfalfa, barley, and potato plants.[3]
Tarucas are gregarious, but do not live in stable herds, with individuals moving between groups of up to thirty members each over the course of a few days. Their populations are scattered, due to their need for relatively specialised habitats, with population densities as low as 0.15/km2 (0.39/sq mi), even away from human habitation. Individual groups are typically led by the females.[4] During the breeding season, males may compete with one another, displaying threatening behaviour by raising their forelegs one at a time and pointing their antlers towards one another.[4]
The rut lasts from May to July, during which time the deer segregate into smaller groups with a single adult male. Males drop their antlers immediately after the breeding season finishes, in September, with the new pair beginning to grow in December, and losing the velvet by February. Pregnancy lasts for 240 days, so that the single fawn is born between January and March, coinciding with the rainy season. Twins have been observed in captivity, but are rare. The mother leaves the group in order to give birth, and keeps the fawn hidden behind rocky outcrops for the first month of life.[3]
The taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), also known as the Peruvian guemal, north Andean deer, north Andean huemul, northern huemul or northern guemal, is a mid sized deer species that inhabits the high regions of the Andes mountains in South America. The common name taruca means "deer" in both the Quechua and Aymara languages, though these are not interrelated. The taruca is closely related to the southern guemal (H. bisulcus), the only other member of the Hippocamelus genus.
