Natural Heritage Taruca

Natural Heritage Taruca

In 1996, the National Congress declared the National Monument the two most threatened deer: Huemul, inhabitant of the Patagonian Cordillera and Taruca of the serranies of northwestern Argentina.

Data sheet
Scientific name: Hippocamelus antisensis.
The massive body and short legs with hooves remind us that they are mountain animals, capable of climbing steep slopes.
The striking bifurcated antler and a remarkable black "Y" spot on the face allow us to differentiate the male from the females.
As they look attentively, with their large ears are discovering the sounds of the mountains.


Where to find it
In serranías and isolated valleys of the provinces of the northwest of Argentina. We can only find it above the hill, between 1800 and 4000 meters high, among grasslands, shrubs and imposing steep rocky slopes of the mountains of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán, Catamarca and La Rioja. He also lives in Chile, Bolivia and Peru, where he is named Aymara Taruca, although he is locally known as deer.


A magical vision
Mimetized among the colors of a hill, we are suddenly astonished by the appearance of a group of deer.
Throughout the year can be observed groups of 3 to 15 animals integrated by mature females with their offspring and juveniles born the previous year. These groups may include juvenile males less than 2 years of age judging by their body size and the development of their antlers. In the months of the roar, between June and August, it is common to see groups integrated by an adult male and 2 to 6 mature females.
After a long day of grazing in the hills eating mosses, lichens, grasses and shrubs, the group returns to the resting place by the same road.

Comentarios