Chital
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Cervidae
Subfamily:Cervinae
Genus:Axis
Species:A. axis
Binomial nameAxis axis
(Erxleben, 1777)
The chital or cheetal (Axis axis),[2] also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan. The Chital is called Chital horin in Bengali,Thith Muwa in Sinhalese, Jinke in Kannada, Pulli Maan in Tamil and Malayalam, Duppi in Telugu, Phutuki Horin in Assamese and Hiran in Hindi/Urdu (ultimately derived from Harini, the Sanskrit root word for 'deer'). It is the most common deer species in Indian forests.The chital's coat is pinkish fawn, marked with white spots, and its underparts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75 cm (2.5 ft). Compared to the hog deer, its close relative, the chital has a more cursorial build, its antler pedicles are proportionally short and its auditory bullae is smaller. It also has large nasals. It stands about 90 cm (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and masses about 85 kg (187 lb), although males tend to be larger than females. Its lifespan is around 8–14 years.
Chital have well developed preorbital glands which protrude hairs like stiff little branches.[3] They also have well developed metatarsal glands and pedal glands on the hind legs. Preorbital glands are larger in males than in females and are opened very often in response to stimuli.[4][5]
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Artiodactyla
Family:Cervidae
Subfamily:Cervinae
Genus:Axis
Species:A. axis
Binomial nameAxis axis
(Erxleben, 1777)
The chital or cheetal (Axis axis),[2] also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan. The Chital is called Chital horin in Bengali,Thith Muwa in Sinhalese, Jinke in Kannada, Pulli Maan in Tamil and Malayalam, Duppi in Telugu, Phutuki Horin in Assamese and Hiran in Hindi/Urdu (ultimately derived from Harini, the Sanskrit root word for 'deer'). It is the most common deer species in Indian forests.The chital's coat is pinkish fawn, marked with white spots, and its underparts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75 cm (2.5 ft). Compared to the hog deer, its close relative, the chital has a more cursorial build, its antler pedicles are proportionally short and its auditory bullae is smaller. It also has large nasals. It stands about 90 cm (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and masses about 85 kg (187 lb), although males tend to be larger than females. Its lifespan is around 8–14 years.
Chital have well developed preorbital glands which protrude hairs like stiff little branches.[3] They also have well developed metatarsal glands and pedal glands on the hind legs. Preorbital glands are larger in males than in females and are opened very often in response to stimuli.[4][5]