Chital

 

Scientific Name:

Axis axis

General Description:

Chital also known as spotted deer, chital deer is a species of deer that is native to the Indian subcontinent. Male chital reach nearly 90 cm and females 70 cm at the shoulder. While males weigh 30–75 kg, the lighter females weigh 25–45 kg. The tail is 20 cm long and is marked by a dark stripe that stretches along its length. The species is sexually dimorphic. Males are larger than females and antlers are present only on males.

Habitat:

The Chital is a common deer species in the Indian Subcontinent including- India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Srilanka. But they are also found in Croatia, Australia and United States.

Diet:

The chital mainly feed on grasses throughout the year. They prefer young shoots, in the absence of which tall and coarse grasses are nibbled off at the tips. They also eat herbs, shrubs, foliage, fruits, and forbs.

Conservation Status:

The chital is listed by the IUCN as being of least concern because it occurs over a very wide range within which there are many large populations. Currently, no range-wide threats to chitals are present and they live in many protected areas. However, population densities are below ecological carrying capacity in many places due to hunting and competition with domestic livestock.