Species in Nepal - Spotted deer (Axis axis)

The beautiful forest dweller

The spotted deer is a medium-sized, gracile deer living in forests and meadows. It prefers sites with water nearby, and is also an able swimmer. The species is sociable: they are normally seen in groups comprising both males and females, numbering from a dozen to even a hundred.

When a spotted deer notices a predator, it gives out an alarm call that sends the whole herd fleeing. Spotted deer can often be seen together with langur monkeys, since the deer benefit from the tree-dwelling langur's capability to see predators from a distance. 

Males shed their antlers once a year and replace them by growing a new pair, bigger than the previous ones.

Despite this, leftover antlers are seldom seen lying around on the ground, since spotted deer (as well as other animals) often gnaw at them until they are completely eaten, in order to consume the valuable nutrients they contain.

Essential for a healthy tiger population
Spotted deer form a major part of a tiger's diet. Thus a viable tiger population can only exist if there also is a viable population of prey species.