My animal is the marsh deer. First, it grows to be two meters long and 1.2 meters high. It has a reddish brown color that makes it hard for its prey to see because it blends in with the giant redwoods, but the marsh deer is found only in the tropics in South America. It also it has to be in marsh areas, but the other places where it can be found in Peru where it is protected and Brazil.

 

The marsh deer's hair changes colors in different seasons. The color of its tail is a pale red and you can tell the color is different from the body. Their legs are black below the tarsal as is the muzzle. An adult deer's tail can be 10 to 15 cm. long. The claw is the same color as the body. It has elastic interdigital membranes, which helps it walk and swim in marshy areas. Its antlers can reach 60 cm. An adult reaches in weight of 150 kg.

 

Their group contains no more than 6 deer with only one male adult. Their predators are jaguars and pumas. The deer's behavior changes with the seasons and their surroundings. They are not territorial and roam looking for food. It eats grass, fruits, and roots. Sometimes it eats farmland when forced to. Its gestation lasts about 200 days. The babies are born between October and November. The baby deer become adult-like after a year. The marsh deer are they prey of the jaguar. They have almost disappeared. The disease is a problem for the deer.

 

Author: Jake W

Published: 02/2009

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Deer

 

Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marsh_deer.jpg