The World’s Tiniest Deer: Pudu, a Pocket-Sized Marvel of the Andes
Holding the title of Earth’s smallest deer, the pudu (Pudu pudu and Pudu mephistophiles) enchants biologists with its miniature stature—standing just 30 to 40 centimeters tall as an adult. Native to the Andean forests of Chile and Argentina, this deer species defies expectations with its rabbit-like size, short tail, and endearing appearance, thriving in dense undergrowth where larger ungulates cannot venture.