Spotted Deer

About

●It is also known as the spotted deer, chital deer and axis deer.

●It is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.

●It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.

Scientific Name

●Axis axis

Size

●A moderate-sized deer, male chital reach 90 cm (35 in) and females 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder.

●While males weigh 70–90 kg (150–200 lb), females weigh around 40–60 kg (88–132 lb).

Sexual dimorphism

●It is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and antlers are present only in males.

Features

●The upper parts are golden to rufous, completely covered in white spots.

●The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears, and tail are all white.

●The antlers, three-pronged, are nearly 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long.

Habitat and distribution

●The chital ranges over 8–30°N in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

●The western limit of its range is eastern Rajasthan and Gujarat; its northern limit is throughout the Terai and northern West Bengal, Sikkim to western Assam and forested valleys in Bhutan below an elevation of 1,100 m (3,600 ft).

●It also occurs in the Sundarbans and some eco-parks around the Bay of Bengal but is locally extinct in central and north-eastern Bangladesh.

●The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sri Lanka are the southern limits of its distribution.

Socialisation

●They are gregarious animals.

●They form matriarchal herds comprising an adult female and her offspring of the previous and the present year, which may be associated with individuals of any age and sex, male herds, and herds of juveniles and mothers.

Conservation Status

●They are categorised as Least Concern IUCN Red List.

Sexual dimorphism

●It is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction.

●A good example is apparent in songbirds. In many species, the male produces complex songs, whereas the female does not.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements about the “Spotted deer” recently seen in the news:

1. They are a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.
2. They are sexually dimorphic.
3. They are locally extinct in India.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

A. Only one

B. Only two

C. All Three

D. None

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct:

●It is also known as the spotted deer, chital deer and axis deer.

●It is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.

●It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.

Statement 2 is correct:

●It is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and antlers are present only in males.

Statement 3 is incorrect:

●It also occurs in the Sundarbans and some eco-parks around the Bay of Bengal but is locally extinct in central and north-eastern Bangladesh.