Description

By far the most numerous of all Indian deer, the Chital or Spotted Deer is endemic to the Indian sub-continent. This is a creature of the forest edge feeding in the meadows and clearings and retreating to the forest for shelter. It is, in Dunbar Brandar's words "……the third largest deer inhabiting the plains of India, while lacking the imposing grandeur of a fine Sambar or Barasingha stag, nevertheless in balance, grace and beauty, rivals if it does not surpass, any deer in the world".

Chital primarily inhabit dry and moist deciduous forests marginally extending into the wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats and are found throughout the sub-continent in suitable habitat. Their range extends from Sri Lanka to the Himalayan foothills and from Eastern Rajasthan to Western Assam. These deer were also introduced into the Andamans where they have prospered and overrun the islands. They are also found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans delta, where it is believed, they extract moisture from the succulent plants they feed on. Apparently they also feed on crustaceans exposed by the ebbing tide.

Grazing is primarily a late afternoon and early morning activity with the actual hours varying according to the seasons. The rest of the day is spent alternating between browsing and resting and ruminating in shady spots. At night Chital prefer to congregate and rest out in the open, which is perhaps a defence against predators. Chital are quite dependent on water sources and like to drink at least twice a day.

Chital stags shed their antlers every year and begin to grow new ones by August/September, though this varies from region to region as does the rutting season. In Northern India this is between December and June but in Central and Southern India Chital can mate throughout the year although the peak season is between February and May. The growing antlers are covered with a fine velvety skin, which is rubbed off once the antlers are fully formed and hardened at which time a number of trees, particularly Mahua (Madhuca indica) and Salai (Boswellia serrata), are decorated with a blaze where the bark has been scraped off. The onset of the rut is marked by a loud harsh bray, which is the rutting call, and the stags indulge in a lot of sparring. These sparring matches sometimes develop into vicious fights especially between closely matched stags and have been known to occasionally result in injury or the death of one or both of the contestants.

The gestation period is nine months with a single fawn - rarely two - being born. The fawns find their feet within a matter of hours and can follow their mother around, though they are kept hidden under cover for the first few days of their life, after which they are strong enough to join and run with the congregations.