Pantanal Marsh Deer

The Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) is a shy and secretive deer and the largest native deer in South America. Males have primarily ornamental antlers, which are usually impressively forked, growing to about 60 centimetres in length. They tend to live in pairs or small family groups and are found in marshy habitats preferring areas with a good amount of cover for protection, such as reed beds or where grass stands are high. When the water level gets too high the deer move to higher, dryer locations. Extremely fragmented populations of marsh deer are found south of the Amazon River into northern Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay. The marsh deer is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix I of CITES. The Pantanal subpopulation is classified as Critically Endangered (CR).