What is Four-Horned Antelope?

About Four-Horned Antelope:

• The four-horned antelope, also called Chousingha, is a small bovid antelope.
• They are the smallest antelopes found in Asia.
• Scientific Name: Tetracerus quadricornis
• Distribution:
  • It is endemic to India and Nepal.
  • In India, they range from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. 
• Habitat:
  • They mostly occur in open, dry, deciduous forests in hilly terrain.
  • They inhabit areas with significant cover from grasses or heavy undergrowth, and close to water bodies.
• Features:
  • They have a yellowish-brown to reddish coat and are slender, with small legs and a short tail.
  • These antelopes have four horns, which distinguish them from most other bovids, which have two horns.
  • Only males in this species grow horns. One pair of horns is located between the ears, and the other on the forehead. 
  • They are usually diurnal and solitary by nature; however, can be spotted in loose groups of three to four.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Key Facts about Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is spread across Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur, districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is spread over an area of 2,339 square kilometres.
• It is the seventh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
• It will encompass areas within the Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary.
• A green corridor linking Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) with Durgavati will be developed for the natural movement of the tiger to the new reserve.
• Rivers: Parts of the reserve fall under the Narmada and Yamuna River basins.
• The Singorgarh Fort is located within the reserve.
• Vegetation: Dry deciduous type
• Flora: The chief floral elements include Teak, Saja, Dhaora, Ber, Amla etc.
• Fauna: Tiger, leopard, wolf, jackal, Indian fox, striped hyena, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chital, Sambhar, Black Buck, Barking deer, Commom Langur, Rhesus Macaque, etc.

Q1: What are Deciduous Forests?

A deciduous forest is a biome dominated by deciduous trees which lose their leaves seasonally. The Earth has temperate deciduous forests, and tropical and subtropical deciduous forests, also known as dry forests.

Source: MP: Rare 4-Horned Antelope Sighted In Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve