Chital (Axis axis)

Also sometimes called "Axis Deer." Males are larger and have antlers. This species is a great example of neoteny, an evolutionary mechanism where juvenile characters are retained into adulthood. The Chital is the only deer which keeps the typical juvenile spotted coat as an adult. This species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent but has been rather widely introduced including to Texas apparently for sport hunting. The semi-open, dry scrub forest here on the Edward's Plateau resembles that of its native habitat. Sometimes placed in the genera "Cervus" or "Hyelaphus."