Huemul (zoology)

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The Huemul is an endangered mammal of the Cervidae family. The Huemul has a stocky, thick, and short-legged body. This mammal lives at higher altitudes in the summer, then moves down the mountains in the fall and spends the winter in more sheltered forested valleys. Areas with fresh water are preferred. The Huemul is a herbivore which feeds primarily on herbaceous plants and shrubs as well as sedges, lichens, and grasses found between the rocks on high peaks.

Hippocamelus bisulcus, also known as the South Andean deer, is found in Chile and Argentina. Huemules live in small groups of two to three animals; these groups are made up of a female and her young. Many animals live solitary lives.

Hippocamelus antisensis, the Peruvian Guemal (known locally as Taruca), is found in the highland cloud forests of Peru, as well as parts of Bolivia. They live in high altitudes, from 2,500 to 5,200 meters above sea level. Social habits include grazing in flexible groups of about 8 animals led by a female. The Guemal is active during daytime and has a lifespan of about 10 years. The conservation status of the Peruvian guemal is not known as of 1996.

These deer are now protected in thirteen Chilean national parks and neighbouring parts of Argentina and Peru, particularly Nahuel Huapí National Park and Rio Abiseo National Park, and have been on the Endangered list since 1976. They are endangered primarily due to human impacts such as deforestation, habitat fragmentation by roads, introduction of non-native mammals such as farm animals, and poaching. They are in a classic "extinction spiral" marked by increasingly small, isolated populations and are now considered critically endangered.

The huemul is the national animal of Chile.

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