South Andean deer | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Cervidae |
Subfamily: | Capreolinae |
Genus: | Hippocamelus |
Species: | H. bisulcus
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Binomial name | |
Hippocamelus bisulcus Molina, 1782
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Geographic range |
The south Andean deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus), also known as the southern guemal,[3] south Andean huemul, southern huemul, or Chilean huemul or güemul (/ˈweɪmuːl/ WAY-mool, Spanish: [weˈmul]), is an endangered species of deer native to the mountains of Argentina and Chile. Along with the northern guemal or taruca, it is one of the two mid-sized deer in the Hippocamelus genus and ranges across the high mountainsides and cold valleys of the Andes. The distribution and habitat, behaviour, and diet of the deer have all been the subject of study. The viability of the small remaining population is an outstanding concern to researchers.
The huemul is part of Chile's national coat of arms and is since 2006 a National Natural Monument.