The tiny new deer species, which stands 38cm tall and weighs less than 10kg, was discovered in the Huancabamba Depression, a broad river valley in the Peruvian Andes

By Adrian Barnett

Published: Friday, 22 March 2024 at 15:18 PM


A new species of deer has been discovered in the Andes Mountains in Peru, according to a study published in the Journal of Mammalogy, making it the first new cervid to be describe in South America for over 60 years.

The discovery was made by a joint Peruvian-Brazilian-Chilean team led by Guillermo D’Elía from the Universidad Austral de Chile. The new species has been named Pudella carlae to honour Peruvian biologist Carla Gazzolo.

Pudella carlae seen here in Peru. Credit: Ramiro Yábar

The new species is a form of pudu – the world’s smallest deer. Found only in the Andes, these dwarf deer occur from the chilly rain-soaked paramo grasslands down into the thick cloud forests below.

The first sightings of the new species came when team-member Javier Barrio saw some strange-looking mini-deer in the wild. Inspired, the team visited a museum to take measurements and study the colour patterns of pudu specimens. They also analysed genetic variations between these and field-collected material. 

The body of the new species is a much rustier brown than its relatives. It also has a paler head and ears. At around 38cm tall and weighing 7-9 kg (the weight of a Jack Russell terrier), its size lies between that of the other two known pudus.

Not only was the new species different in all metrics, but it also has a unique distribution, living in the Huancabamba Depression, a broad and arid river valley that divides the Andes in northern Peru.

Pudella carlae is the newest addition to the hundreds-strong list of plants and animals that are endemic to the 50km-wide dry valley. 

Main image: Ramiro Yábar