Geographic Range
The axis deer occurs historically in India and Ceylon. They have been introduced to Texas and Hawaii.
Habitat
In their native lands, the deer occupy grasslands and very rarely move into areas of dense jungle that may occur adjacent to them. Short grasslands are an important area for them due to a lack of cover for predators such as the tiger (Moe and Wegge, 1994). Riverine forests within the Bardia National Park in lowland Nepal are highly utilized by the deer for shade and cover during the dry season. The forest also provides good foraging with regard to fallen fruit and leaves that are high in nutrients needed by the deer. Therefore, the deer require open areas as well as forested areas within their home ranges for optimum habitat. Their total range incorporates a core area of about 32 hectares(ha) surrounded by foraging and cover areas of about 140 ha for females and 195 ha for males (Moe and Wegge, 1994). Some variation in range size occurs depending on the season as well as the sex.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- Other Habitat Features
- riparian
Physical Description
The Axis deer stands 0.6 to 1 m tall at the shoulder and has a body length of about
1.5 m (Walker, 1964). The body color is reddish with white on the belly, inner legs,
and underneath their short tail. The males tend to be darker and to have black facial
markings. They also have antlers composed of three tines which can reach lengths of
almost a meter. Characteristic white spots occur in both sexes and run longitudinally
in rows throughout the duration of the animal's life (Ables,1977). A dark dorsal stripe
runs the length of the animal's back.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes colored or patterned differently
- ornamentation
Reproduction
Males tend to bellow during the mating season which may be a good indicator of when
breeding begins.
Axis deer breed in April or May and have a gestation of about 7.5 months. They usually have two fawns but one or three is not uncommon(Walker, 1964). The number of fawns produced as well as the mating season may vary for deer in captivity; only one fawn is usually produced and mating may take place from May to August (Ables, 1977). First pregnancies usually occur between the ages of 14 to 17 months. The female usually maintains nursing until the fawn can safely roam with the herd (Walker, 1964).
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- viviparous
Lifespan/Longevity
Behavior
Axis deer occur in several different kinds of herds depending on their age and sex.
Matriarchal herds are common and composed of adult females and their young from the
present and previous year. Sexually active males follow these groups during the mating
season while less active males form bachelor herds. One other type of herd that occurs
frequently are called nursery herds which include females with fawns less than 8 weeks
old. The males participate in a dominance-based hierarchial system where older and
larger males dominate younger and smaller males. There are four different aggressive
displays among males; head-down or scare threat, present threat, head-up, and antler
threat. Females also partake in aggressive behavior but it is mostly associated with
over-crowding at feeding sites. Biting, striking, and chasing are the behaviors most
commonly seen among females and occasionally between females and other sexes and age
classes (Ables, 1977).
- Key Behaviors
- terricolous
- diurnal
- motile
- nomadic
- social
- dominance hierarchies
Communication and Perception
Axis deer have several vocalizations besides the bellowing that occurs during the mating season. They have a bark that is used during times of alarm or when an unusual object has been observed. This usually occurs among females and juveniles and is repeated back and forth. Another kind is squealing which is used by fawns when they get separated from their mothers. Moaning is associated with males during aggressive displays or when resting (Ables, 1977).
Food Habits
The main foods utilized by these deer are grasses as well as flowers and fruits which
fall from the forest trees. They will occasionally browse when it is necessary. During
the monsoon season, grass and sedge species in a sal forest are an important food
source. Another source of nutrition may come from mushrooms which are high in proteins
and nutrients and are also found in sal forests (Moe and Wegge, 1994).
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- wood, bark, or stems
- fruit
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Axis deer have become an important resource for hunting in the United States.
Conservation Status
The axis deer has been introduced into Texas and Hawaii with good results. They do very well in captivity and can be seen at Zoos in the United States. Most are on private lands in the U.S., however, some are free-ranging.
Additional Links
Contributors
Barbara Lundrigan (author), Michigan State University, Carry Gardner (author), Michigan State University.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- introduced
-
referring to animal species that have been transported to and established populations in regions outside of their natural range, usually through human action.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- sexual ornamentation
-
one of the sexes (usually males) has special physical structures used in courting the other sex or fighting the same sex. For example: antlers, elongated tails, special spurs.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- nomadic
-
generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- dominance hierarchies
-
ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- folivore
-
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
References
Albes, E. 1977. The Axis deer in Texas . Texas Agricultural Experimental Station, Texas A&M University.: Caesar Kleberg Research Program in Wildllife Ecology and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
Moe, S., P. Wegge. 1994. Spacing behavior and habitat use of Axis deer (Axis axis) in lowland Nepal. Canadian Journal of Zoology , 72(10): 1735-1743.
Walker, E. 1964. Mammals of the World . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press.