Gray-Brown Brocket Deer | Online Record Book Preview

Mazama gouazoubira

Corzuela parda, Corzuëla café, Biracho (Sp), Brauner Mazama (G), Daguet brun (F). Called brown brocket in northern parts of its range, gray brocket in southern parts. Called bush deer in Brazil. The specific name is from guazu bira, the Guarani (Paraguay) name for a brocket.

DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height about 24 inches (61 cm). Weight 33-40 pounds (15-18 kg). The subspecies nemorivaga of southeastern Venezuela and the Guianas, however, has a shoulder height of only 14-15 inches (36-38 cm).

Generally similar to the red brocket, except it is considerably smaller and also differs in coloration and horn conformation. Overall color is a dull light brown with white underparts. A darker brown facial mask extends from nose to crown, and there are light-colored patches above the eyes. Fawns are spotted. Preorbital glands are small. Typically, the antlers are simple spikes that are somewhat longer and slimmer than those of the red brocket. They grow backward in the line of the face, in contrast to those of the red brocket, which grow upward at a slight forward angle to the line of the face. Occasionally, an older male will grow a very small brow tine; such tines are always non-typical in brocket deer.

BEHAVIOR Similar to the red brocket, although said to be more diurnal and thus more frequently seen, to run faster, and to be less often caught by dogs. Twin births are thought to occur more frequently than in the red brocket.

HABITAT Savanna and forest edges, rather than thick forest.

DISTRIBUTION Eastern Ecuador, southeastern Colombia, western and southern Venezuela; Trinidad, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana; eastern Peru; Bolivia and Paraguay; northern and western Brazil; northern Argentina; Uruguay.

Also found in North America on Isla San José off the Pacific coast of Panama. A similar species, the Yucatán gray-brown brocket deer (Mazama pandora), occurs in North America, in parts of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.

TAXONOMIC NOTES Eight subspecies are listed in South America, but we do not separate them.