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A pudú is so small it could almost curl up in a school backpack. It has short legs, a round body, rounded ears and a little face. The males grow tiny antlers just a few centimetres long.
Pudús are very shy. They live alone in dense forest and freeze still or dart away in zig-zags if they sense danger. They make small barking sounds to warn each other, which is why some people call them 'barking deer'.
They eat leaves, bark, fruit and ferns. Because they are so short, they sometimes stand on their back legs or climb onto fallen logs to reach tastier leaves. Baby pudús are born with white spots that help them hide among the dappled forest light.