The Hog Deer

The Hog Deer (Axis porcinus)

• A deer quite related to the Chital it is smaller and more stoutly built then the Chital. Hog deer as named has a peculiar habit of running like a hog with its head down without the traditional leaps of a deer.

• Hog deer has a long body with shorter legs and the color of the coat is brown to dark brown with reddish tinge. It has white inner ears and white under tail. There are white tips on some hair which sometimes give it a spotted look. The summer coat is usually paler in color. The antler size is also considerably smaller as compared to Chital.

• In India, Hog Deer inhabits the alluvial grasslands of the terai forest right from Corbett to the forests of Assam.

• Hog deer favors the grass and reeds along the river banks, the grass covered riverine islands and open grass lands. Hog deer are mainly solitary animals and very rarely they are found in two’s or three’s. They can be seen frequenting similar areas for days together for feeding.
  

• The afternoon’s are always for resting and grazing is in the early mornings and evenings. Being the creatures of open, Hog deer have very acute sense of sight, smell and sound.

• As with other deer species, the young ones are born during the time when rain starts and the grass grows long enough to hide the fawns.