Chital

Chital Latest News

A chital was allegedly hunted inside the core area of Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, and forest officials arrested two villagers, seizing suspected animal meat, bows, arrows, and animal traps recently.

About Chital

• Chital, also known as spotted deer or axis deer, is a medium-sized deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.  
• Scientific Name: Axis axis

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Chital Habitat and Distribution

• The Chital is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
• It lives in grasslands and forests in herds.

Chital Features

• It stands at about 35 inches tall and weighs about 187 pounds.
• The body color is reddish with white on the belly, inner legs, and underneath their short tail.  
• The males tend to be darker and to have black facial markings.  
• Both the genders have small white spots on the body, hence named Spotted or Chital.
• Spotted deer are sexually dimorphic. Males are significantly larger than females, and only male deers possess antlers.
• Its curved, three-pronged antlers extend nearly 3 feet and shed each year.
• Lifespan: 20 to 30 years
• They are social animals. They occur in herds of 10 to 50 individuals, with one or two males and a number of females and young.

Chital Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Least Concern‘ under the IUCN Red List.

News: TOI