| Indian hog deer | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Genus: | Axis |
| Species: | A. porcinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Axis porcinus (Zimmermann, 1780) | |
 | |
| Range in green | |
| Synonyms | |
Hyelaphus porcinus(Zimmermann, 1780) | |
TheIndian hog deer (Axis porcinus), orIndochinese hog deer, is a smallcervid native to the region of theIndian subcontinent andIndo-Gangetic Plain. Introduced populations are established inAustralia,[3][4] as well as theUnited States andSri Lanka.[1]
Its name derives from thehog-like manner in which it runs through forests (with its head hung low), to ease ducking under obstacles instead of leaping over them, like most other deer.
Cervus porcinus was thescientific name used byEberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1777 and 1780, based on an earlier description of Indian hog deer brought to England from India.[5][6]It was placed in the genusAxis byWilliam Jardine in 1835 and byBrian Houghton Hodgson in 1847.[7][8]In 2004, it was proposed to be placed in the genusHyelaphus.[9][10] The proposal has not been accepted, with most authors keeping it underAxis.[11][1][12] A subspecies,A. p. annamiticus, was once considered its own species, but is now generally considered the same species asA. porcinus.[1]
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A mature hog deer stag stands about 70 centimetres (28 in) at the shoulder, and weighs approximately 50 kilograms (110 lb); hinds are much smaller, standing about 61 centimetres (24 in) and weighing around 30 kilograms (66 lb). They are very solidly built, with a long body and relatively short legs; the line of the back slopes upward from the shoulders to a high rump. The ears are rounded; older animals tend to become light coloured in the face and neck.The Indian hog deer's coat is quite thick, and generally a uniform dark-brown in winter, except for the underparts of the body and legs, which are lighter in colour. During late spring, the change to a summer coat of rich reddish-brown commences, although this may vary between individuals. Many hog deer show a dark dorsal stripe extending from the head down the back of the neck, and along the spine. In summer, there is usually a uniform row of light-coloured spots along either side of the dorsal stripe from the shoulders to the rump. The tail is fairly short and brown, but tipped with white. The underside of the tail is white, and the deer can fan the white hairs out in a distinctive alarm display.
The antlers of a mature hog deer stag are typically three tined, having a brow tine and a solid main beam terminating in inner and outer top tines. However, antlers with more points are not uncommon.[13]
The Indian hog deer occurs in theIndus River valley inPakistan, in northernIndia,Nepal, southernBhutan,Bangladesh,MyanmarChina'sYunnan Province. It has been reintroduced toThailand but islocally extinct inLaos andVietnam.[1]A small, isolated population lives inCambodia'sPrek Prasab Wildlife Sanctuary.[14]
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Thetiger,leopard andclouded leopard are known predators of the Indian hog deer.[15] Other known predators include theBurmese python anddhole.[16]
"Axis porcinus".ASM Mammal Diversity Database. 1.5.American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved25 August 2021.
