Central American red brocket

Central American red brocket
Male at Phoenix Zoo.
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Cervidae
Subfamily:	Capreolinae
Genus:	Mazama
Species:	M. temama
Binomial name
Mazama temama (Kerr, 1792)
Subspecies
M. temama temama (nominate) M. temama cerasina M. temama reperticia

The Central American or Mexican red brocket (Mazama temama), as it is sometimes called, is a species of brocket deer native to Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia. ^[2]

Taxonomy

In 1792 Robert Kerr originally described it as a separate species as opposed to a subspecies. ^[3] It was subsequently treated as a subspecies of the red brocket (Mazama americana) from South America, but its karyotype has 2n = 50, while the latter's was initially described as having 2n = 68–70. ^[1] However, a more recent description gives the red brocket a variable karyotype with 2n ranging from 48 to 54, suggesting that it represents several species. ^[4] It is sympatric with the Yucatan brown brocket (Odocoileus pandora) over part of its range. Additionally, it was estimated that M. temama diverged from other red brocket deer about 2 million years ago. This was estimated through analysis of concatenated sequences from the mitochondrial gene ND2, Cytb, and tRNA-Pro-Control region. ^[3]

Habitat and range

Mazama temama is found in primary and secondary tropical forests, from sea level to cloud forest habitat at elevations of around 2,800 m (9,190 ft). ^[1]

In the northern reaches of its range, M. temama is known from the northeastern Mexican states of San Luís Toposí, Tamaulipas and Veracruz, not typically being found to the west of the Sierra Gorda. ^[5] Its distribution continues south through the states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo and Puebla and regions east of Mexico City. In the southern parts of the country, being a more tropic-adapted deer species, it may be found with somewhat more frequency in Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán states. It is also known from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, ^[1] extending into north and north-central Colombia via the Darién Gap, where it is known from as far south as Antioquia Department and east of the capital, Bogotá. ^{[6] [7]}

Conservation

In Mexico, it is regarded as an agricultural pest by some legume farmers. ^[1] It is likely threatened in some areas by hunting and deforestation. ^[1] Due to a relative lack of information, M. temama is listed as "Data Deficient" on the IUCN Red List.

References

1. Bello, J.; Reyna, R.; Schipper, J. (2016). "Mazama temama". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T136290A22164644. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136290A22164644.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Grubb, P. (2005). "Order Artiodactyla". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 657. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
3. Escobedo-Morales, Luis A.; Mandujano, Salvador; Eguiarte, Luis E.; Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Marco A.; Maldonado, Jesús E. (May 2016). "First phylogenetic analysis of Mesoamerican brocket deer Mazama pandora and Mazama temama (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae) based on mitochondrial sequences: Implications for Neotropical deer evolution" . Mammalian Biology. 81 (3): 303–313. Bibcode:2016MamBi..81..303E. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2016.02.003.
4. Duarte, J.M.B.; Vogliotti, A. (2016). "Mazama americana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T29619A22154827. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T29619A22154827.en . Retrieved 27 April 2025.
5. "Observations iNaturalist". iNaturalist . 8 March 2026.
6. "Observations - iNaturalist". iNaturalist . 8 March 2026.
7. "Observations - iNaturalist map". iNaturalist . 8 March 2026.

Further reading

• Louise Emmons (January 1997). Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: A Field Guide (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press. ISBN   978-0-226-20721-6. OCLC   20296862.