The Chital (Axis axis), or spotted deer, is a medium-sized deer native to the Indian subcontinent, distinguished by its reddish-brown coat, permanent white spots, and three-pronged antlers. Males, or stags, are larger than females, typically weighing 70–90 kg, and are known for their loud, coarse barking calls.
Key Facts
Appearance: They have a distinctive white throat, belly, and inner legs, with a dark dorsal stripe.Antlers: Males have three-pronged antlers that can reach nearly 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length.
Habitat & Diet: They prefer grassy woodlands and, while primarily grazers, will consume fruits and shrubs during the dry season.
Social Behavior: They are highly gregarious and often found in large, mixed-sex herds (10-50+ individuals).
Symbiosis: Chital maintain a mutualistic relationship with gray langurs, which drop fruit for them to eat and provide warning calls against predators.
Breeding: Chital can breed throughout the year, with a gestation period of 225-235 days.
Lifespan: Their life expectancy is around 15–20 years.Distribution: Native to India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, they have been introduced to Texas, Argentina, and Australia.Chital are not considered threatened, with a conservation status of "Least Concern" (LC).
