Indian hog deer
| Indian hog deer | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Genus: | Axis |
| Species: | A. porcinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Axis porcinus (Zimmermann, 1780) | |
| Range in green | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hyelaphus porcinus (Zimmermann, 1780) | |
The Indian hog deer (Axis porcinus), or Indochinese hog deer, is a small cervid native to the region of the Indian subcontinent and Indo-Gangetic Plain. Introduced populations are established in Australia, as well as the United States and Sri Lanka.
Its name derives from the hog-like manner in which it runs through forests (with its head hung low), to ease ducking under obstacles instead of leaping over them, like most other deer.