Central American Red Brocket

About the Central American Red Brocket

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. In 1792 Robert Kerr originally described it as a separate species as opposed to a subspecies. 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. 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. 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.

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). In the northern reaches of its range, M. temama is known... Wikipedia →