Pamela Morales Muñoz & Mariela Novoa Gutierrez

SUMMARY: The pudu (Pudu puda), belongs to the Artiodactyla order and the Cervidae family, corresponding to the second smallest deer in the world and is endemic to Chile and Ar- gentina. They are herbivores that feed on young leaves and shoots of certain trees, shrubs, herbs, fruits, and flowers. The status of is species is classified as Vulnerable; therefore, its hunting and cap- ture is prohibited, this because its population has decreased substantially due to the loss and fragmentation of native vegetation, forest fires, attacks by feral dogs and poaching. There is little scientific anatomical information available on this species, and even more so regarding its digestive morphology, which is why studies are required to provide specific information on this deer. Two adult female pudu specimens were used, which were donated by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of Talca, Maule Region, Chile. Among the results, we can indicate that the oral cavity, salivary glands and esophagus resemble other domestic ruminants; there are also similarities with the field deer, however, there are differences such as the shape and development of the parotid gland; the parotid duct passes ventral to the masseter muscle and opens into a papilla at the level of the upper third premolar; the mandibular gland is divided into three wolves; the sublingual gland only has a polystomatic portion, the dorsal buccal glands are smaller than the ventral buccal glands, the ventral buccal gland is elongated and compact and the presence of a rounded intermediate buccal gland is observed, it has 11 palatal ridges per side in the hard palate and also the incisive papilla is found surrounding the dental pulvino. This information is relevant and corresponds to a report on the

specific knowledge of this species, which is endemic, vulnerable, and protected.

KEY WORDS: Pudu; Anatomy; Oral cavity; Salivary glands; Esophagus.

MORALES, M. P. & NOVOA, G. M. Anatomical review of the oral cavity, salivary glands and esophagus of two specimens of Pudú (Pudu puda). Int. J. Morphol., 40(2):436-441, 2022.