The name is a loanword from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of central Chile and south-western Argentina.

The term "pudú" itself is derived from the language of the Mapuche people of the Los Lagos Region of south-central Chile.

Pudus have small hooves, dewclaws, and short tails about 4.0 to 4.5 cm (1.6 to 1.8 in) in length when measured without hair.

The fur is long and stiff, typically pressed close to the body, with a reddish-brown to dark-brown hue.

[10] The pudú inhabits temperate rainforests in South America, where the dense underbrush and bamboo thickets offer protection from predators.

[18] Southern Chile, south-west Argentina, Chiloé Island, and northwest South America are home to the deer.

The climate of the pudú's habitat is composed of two main seasons: a damp, moderate winter and an arid summer.

Their home range generally extends about 16 to 25 ha (40 to 62 acres), much of which consists of crisscrossing pudú-trodden paths.

[19] A single animal's territory is marked with sizable dung piles found on paths and near eating and resting areas.

The pudú is a wary animal that moves slowly and stops often, smelling the air for scents of predators.

[6] A popular rumor is that if alarmed to a high degree, pudús die from fear-induced cardiac complications.

[19][22] Females and fawns peel bark from saplings using their teeth, but mature males may use their spikelike antlers.

The deer may use their front legs to press down on saplings until they snap or become low enough to the ground so they can reach the leaves.

Forced to stand on their hind legs due to their small size, the deer climb branches and tree stumps to reach higher foliage.

[6] To mate, the pudú male rests his chin on the female's back, then sniffs her rear before mounting her from behind, holding her with his fore legs.

An international captive-breeding program for the southern pudú led by Universidad de Concepcion in Chile has been started.

[22] Despite efforts made by the World Wildlife Fund, the size of the pudú population remains unknown.

The land is cleared for human development, cattle ranching, agriculture, logging, and exotic tree plantations.