Amazonian brown brocket

Amazonian brown brocket
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Genus:	Mazama
Species:	M. nemorivaga
Binomial name
Mazama nemorivaga (F. Cuvier, 1817)

The Amazonian brown brocket (Mazama nemorivaga), also known as the small brown brocket, is a small species of deer that is almost entirely restricted to South America.

Distribution and habitat

It is known from Panama (in Isla San José of the Pearl Islands only; endemic subspecies M. n. permira), Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Brazil and possibly northern Bolivia. Habitats it is found in include primarily nonflooded Amazonian tropical rainforest, and locally also tropical deciduous forest and xeric shrublands, at altitudes up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). However, reports from the latter habitats may actually represent M. gouazoubira.

Breeding

Breeding occurs year-round in some areas, with births tending to be concentrated in the rainy season.

Threats

It is threatened by deforestation and by diseases spread by cattle, but not particularly by hunting.

Taxonomy

It is sympatric with the larger M. americana over much of its range (the latter tends to have significantly higher population densities), and reportedly also with M. gouazoubira in a few areas. It was considered a subspecies of M. gouazoubira, with which it is parapatric, until 2000. Under normal viewing conditions it is not easily distinguished from M. gouazoubira, but unlike M. americana it is gray-brown overall with paler underparts.

Hybrids with Mazama gouazoubira

The occurrence of hybrids between the two species are documented.