What is Four-Horned Antelope?

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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