Praveen Siddannavar
20-08-2013, 07:47 PM
Chital or Spotted Deer Courtship - During my recent visit to Kabini, there were so many good things I noticed in the forest; the foremost & important one was the water levels at the backwaters of river Kabini. Thanks to the rains Gods, I hope we have consistent rains for next couple of months. Apart from seeing quite a few leopards, I was amazed to see large congregation of spotted deers mostly alongside the backwaters. Interestingly we heard rattling calls all through our game drive both morning and evening. Rattling calls are loud and aggressive calls made by the male deer (stag) showing signs of mating behavior and inviting a female. Finally I was fortunate to document a great natural history moment, a sequence of mating. I am happy to share just one image for now.
More info -
Axis Deer, also known as Chital Deer or Spotted Deer, is the native animal of the Indian subcontinent. It is found very commonly in India and is one of the most beautiful animals in the country. The spotted deer of India was introduced in the state of Texas in the 1930s. Since that time, it has become the most widespread of the entire deer species. The antlers of the axis deer of India branch to six points and sweep back into an upward curve. They shed their antlers on an annual basis. Mostly, the antlers of Indian chital deer grow to a length of 20 inches. Only some deer have antlers that reach 30 inches. An Indian spotted deer, whose anglers were 41 inches long, still holds the record for having the longest antlers in the world.
The natural habitat of the Chital Deer comprises of Indian parkland habitats, with open woodland in grassy areas. They prefer to live near rivers and other sources of water. In rare cases, they may inhabit thick forests.
The mating behavior of the axis deer is quite different from the other deer. They do not follow any seasonal rut and fawning can occur in any month. Infact, one can find them in hard horn and in velvet at the same time, that to during any time of the year. Spotted deer is also not seen wallowing during rut. Rather, it emits a shrill call, proudly displaying its beautiful antlers. The gestation period is 220 days, after which a single young one is born.
Camera – Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon f4 500mm lens
EXIF – ISO 800 Av 8 Tv 1/320 sec EC -0.3, cropped for composition
15th June 2013
More info -
Axis Deer, also known as Chital Deer or Spotted Deer, is the native animal of the Indian subcontinent. It is found very commonly in India and is one of the most beautiful animals in the country. The spotted deer of India was introduced in the state of Texas in the 1930s. Since that time, it has become the most widespread of the entire deer species. The antlers of the axis deer of India branch to six points and sweep back into an upward curve. They shed their antlers on an annual basis. Mostly, the antlers of Indian chital deer grow to a length of 20 inches. Only some deer have antlers that reach 30 inches. An Indian spotted deer, whose anglers were 41 inches long, still holds the record for having the longest antlers in the world.
The natural habitat of the Chital Deer comprises of Indian parkland habitats, with open woodland in grassy areas. They prefer to live near rivers and other sources of water. In rare cases, they may inhabit thick forests.
The mating behavior of the axis deer is quite different from the other deer. They do not follow any seasonal rut and fawning can occur in any month. Infact, one can find them in hard horn and in velvet at the same time, that to during any time of the year. Spotted deer is also not seen wallowing during rut. Rather, it emits a shrill call, proudly displaying its beautiful antlers. The gestation period is 220 days, after which a single young one is born.
Camera – Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon f4 500mm lens
EXIF – ISO 800 Av 8 Tv 1/320 sec EC -0.3, cropped for composition
15th June 2013