Mammals · Artiodactyla · Cervidae

Chital

Axis axis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The chital, or axis deer, is the most abundant deer in India and keeps its white spots throughout life, not only as a fawn. It lives in large herds in open woodland with clearings and is the main prey of the tiger and the leopard over much of its range. It maintains a close association with Hanuman langurs: it follows the monkey troops to eat the fruit they drop from the canopy, and in return makes use of their alarm calls, which pick up predators from above.

Weight

30 kg – 110 kg

Size

1.1 m – 1.6 m

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandHerbivore Diurnal Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

11countries 21parks23same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt keeps its spotted coat all its life, and is the Bengal tiger's main prey.
It follows the langurs through the forest to eat the fruit they drop, and in return benefits from the alarm calls the monkeys give from the canopy on seeing a tiger: an alliance between a primate and a deer that works both ways.
It is the deer that keeps its spots for life: in most species the dappling belongs to the fawns alone and fades within the first year.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Open deciduous forest with grassy clearings and riverside woodland of the Indian subcontinent
Sexual maturity: 2.1 years
Gestation / incubation: 7.4 months
Litter / clutch size: 1.03 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_axis