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Axis axis
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Axis axis.
Common name: Spotted deer.
Common Hindi name: Chital (or cheetal).
Axis axis is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and most of India. It is the most common deer species in Indian forests. Its coat is reddish 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. It has a protracted breeding season due in part to the tropical climate, and births can occur throughout the year. For this reason, males do not have their antler cycles in synchrony and there are some fertile females at all times of the year. Males sporting hard antlers are dominant over those in velvet or those without antlers, irrespective of their size and other factors.
Chital most commonly occur in herds of ten to fifty individuals comprised of one or two stags and a number of females and young. They are often fairly tolerant of approach by humans and vehicles, especially where they are accustomed to human disturbance.
Chital eat primarily grasses and vegetation, but also eat their shed antlers as a source of nutrients.
A chital stands about 90 cm tall at the shoulder and masses about 85 kg. Lifespan is around 20-30 years.
An interesting relationship has been observed between herds of chital and troops of the Northern Plains Grey Langur (Presbytis entellus), a widespread leaf-eating monkey taxon of South Asia. Chital apparently benefit from the langurs' good eyesight and ability to post a lookout in a treetop, helping to raise the alarm when a predator approaches. For the langurs' part, the chital's superior sense of smell would seem to assist in early predator warning. The chital also benefit from fruits dropped by the langurs from trees. Alarm calls of either species can be indicative of the presence of a predator such as a tiger.
For another view, please click here.
It was really interesting to see this herd of chital playing hide-n-seek in the grass-land.
I was out for a couple of days. On the way back, I managed to steel away some time to spend a night and the following morning in the Dudhwa National Park. This shot was taken from a swinging elephant back, camera hand-held. Elephant is the only means to enter this swampy grass-land. |
gerbilratz, Maite, haraprasan has marked this note useful
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Pretty dense undergrowth !! surprised you managed to see them...good composition...
- lousat
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 5 N: 2420]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(9081) - [2007-11-21 4:40]
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very very nice as the last...excellent scene of really wildlife..very good work,have a nice day,Luciano
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- Maite
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 978 W: 64 N: 1189]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(4884) - [2007-11-21 6:37]
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Hello Nirmal
How good and beautiful to bump into so many of these lovely animals! Surely they are rather evasive. Lucky you!
Greetings
Maite
Hi Nirmal,
Again a beautiful capture of these chitals. Excellent composition and very good DOF maintained. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hello Nirmal,
The tall grass practically hide the animals!
A fine capture showing the deer in their natural habitat, an amazing view!
Greetings,
Pablo -
hi nirmal,
excellent photo of chitals in their natural habitat. tfs.
manoj
![Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 18 W: 0 N: 23]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-s.gif)
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