The Indian hog deer (Hyelaphus porcinus) is a small deer native to the Indo-Gangetic Plain in Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bangladesh to mainland Southeast Asia. It also occurs in western Thailand and southwestern Yunnan Province in China; introduced populations exist in Australia.
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.
Description
Young hog deer male in Assam
A mature hog deer stag stands about 70 cm at the shoulder, and weighs approximately 50 kg; hinds are much smaller, standing about 61 cm and weighing in the vicinity of 30 kg. They are very solidly built, with a long body and relatively short legs; the line of the back slopes upward from the shoulders to a high rump. The ears are rounded; older animals tend to become light coloured in the face and neck. The Indian hog deer's coat is quite thick, and generally a uniform dark-brown in winter, except for the underparts of the body and legs, which are lighter in colour. During late spring, the change to a summer coat of rich reddish brown commences, although this may vary between individuals. Many hog deer show a dark dorsal stripe extending from the head down the back of the neck, and along the spine. In summer, there is usually a uniform row of light-coloured spots along either side of the dorsal stripe from the shoulders to the rump. The tail is fairly short and brown, but tipped with white. The underside of the tail is white, and the deer can fan the white hairs out in a distinctive alarm display.
Indian hog deer have preorbital glands on the face just below the eyes and metatarsal glands located high on the side of the rear legs. Pedal glands are located between the cleaves or toes of the hind hooves.
The antlers of a mature hog deer stag are typically three tined-brow tine, with a solid main beam terminating in inner and outer top tines. However, antlers with more points are not uncommon. The distinctive features of typical hog deer antlers are the acute angle between the brow tine and main beam, and the fact that the inner tops tend to be short and angle back from the main beam and across towards the opposite antler.
Behaviour and ecology
Female suckling fawn in Kaziranga, India
The Indian hog deer is gregarious only when conditions are favorable and do not form a "unit" at these times, fleeing in different directions rather than in a herd. When alarmed, hog deer make a whistling vocalization or a warning bark. Home ranges vary widely in size, but average about 0.70 km². Males are aggressive, and may become territorial at low population densities, marking the boundaries with glandular secretions. During the rut, males gather in open meadows, pawing the ground during antagonistic encounters. Harems are not created, with males courting and defending a single female at any given time. Unlike many other deer species, hog deer do not have a rutting call. Population densities may be as low as 0.1 animals per square kilometer in riverine valleys, rising to over 19 individuals per square kilometer in grassy flood plains.
Predators
The tiger, the leopard, and the clouded leopard are known predators of the Indian hog deer.
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Antilocapridae |
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Giraffidae |
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Moschidae |
Moschus |
- Anhui musk deer (M. anhuiensis)
- Dwarf musk deer (M. berezovskii)
- Alpine musk deer (M. chrysogaster)
- Kashmir musk deer (M. cupreus)
- Black musk deer (M. fuscus)
- Himalayan musk deer (M. leucogaster)
- Siberian musk deer (M. moschiferus)
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Tragulidae |
Hyemoschus |
- Water chevrotain (H. aquaticus)
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Moschiola |
- Indian spotted chevrotain (M. indica)
- Yellow-striped chevrotain (M. kathygre)
- Sri Lankan spotted chevrotain (M. meminna)
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Tragulus |
- Java mouse-deer (T. javanicus)
- Lesser mouse-deer (T. kanchil)
- Greater mouse-deer (T. napu)
- Philippine mouse-deer (T. nigricans)
- Vietnam mouse-deer (T. versicolor)
- Williamson's mouse-deer (T. williamsoni)
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Cervidae |
Large family listed below
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Bovidae |
Large family listed below
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Cervinae |
Muntiacus |
- Indian muntjac (M. muntjak)
- Reeves's muntjac (M. reevesi)
- Hairy-fronted muntjac (M. crinifrons)
- Fea's muntjac (M. feae)
- Bornean yellow muntjac (M. atherodes)
- Roosevelt's muntjac (M. rooseveltorum)
- Gongshan muntjac (M. gongshanensis)
- Giant muntjac (M. vuquangensis)
- Truong Son muntjac (M. truongsonensis)
- Leaf muntjac (M. putaoensis)
- Sumatran muntjac (M. montanus)
- Pu Hoat muntjac (M. puhoatensis)
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Elaphodus |
- Tufted deer (E. cephalophus)
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Dama |
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Axis |
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Rucervus |
- Barasingha (R. duvaucelii)
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Panolia |
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Elaphurus |
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Hyelaphus |
- Indochinese hog deer (H. annamiticus)
- Calamian deer (H. calamianensis)
- Bawean deer (H. kuhlii)
- Hog deer (H. porcinus)
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Rusa |
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Cervus |
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Capreolinae |
Alces |
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Hydropotes |
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Capreolus |
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Rangifer |
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Hippocamelus |
- Taruca (H. antisensis)
- South Andean deer (H. bisulcus)
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Mazama |
- Red brocket (M. americana)
- Small red brocket (M. bororo)
- Merida brocket (M. bricenii)
- Dwarf brocket (M. chunyi)
- Gray brocket (M. gouazoubira)
- Pygmy brocket (M. nana)
- Amazonian brown brocket (M. nemorivaga)
- Yucatan brown brocket (M. pandora)
- Little red brocket (M. rufina)
- Central American red brocket (M. temama)
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Ozotoceros |
- Pampas deer (O. bezoarticus)
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Blastocerus |
- Marsh deer (B. dichotomus)
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Pudu |
- Northern pudú (P. mephistophiles)
- Southern pudú (P. pudu)
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Odocoileus |
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Cephalophinae |
Cephalophus |
- Abbott's duiker (C. spadix)
- Aders's duiker (C. adersi)
- Bay duiker (C. dorsalis)
- Black duiker (C. niger)
- Black-fronted duiker (C. nigrifrons)
- Brooke's duiker (C. brookei)
- Harvey's duiker (C. harveyi)
- Jentink's duiker (C. jentinki)
- Ogilby's duiker (C. ogilbyi)
- Peters' duiker (C. callipygus)
- Red-flanked duiker (C. rufilatus)
- Red forest duiker (C. natalensis)
- Ruwenzori duiker (C. rubidis)
- Weyns's duiker (C. weynsi)
- White-bellied duiker (C. leucogaster)
- White-legged duiker (C. crusalbum)
- Yellow-backed duiker (C. silvicultor)
- Zebra duiker (C. zebra)
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Philantomba |
- Blue duiker (P. monticola)
- Maxwell's duiker (P. maxwellii)
- Walter's duiker (P. walteri)
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Sylvicapra |
- Common duiker (S. grimmia)
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Hippotraginae |
Hippotragus |
- Roan antelope (H. equinus)
- Sable antelope (H. niger)
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Oryx |
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Addax |
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Reduncinae |
Kobus |
- Upemba lechwe (K. anselli)
- Waterbuck (K. ellipsiprymnus)
- Kob (K. kob)
- Lechwe (K. leche)
- Nile lechwe (K. megaceros)
- Puku (K. vardonii)
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Redunca |
- Southern reedbuck (R. arundinum)
- Mountain reedbuck (R. fulvorufula)
- Bohor reedbuck (R. redunca)
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Aepycerotinae |
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Peleinae |
Pelea |
- Grey rhebok (P. capreolus)
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Alcelaphinae |
Beatragus |
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Damaliscus |
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Alcelaphus |
- Hartebeest (A. buselaphus)
- Red hartebeest (A. caama)
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Connochaetes |
- Black wildebeest (C. gnou)
- Blue wildebeest (C. taurinus)
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Pantholopinae |
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Caprinae |
Large subfamily listed below
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Bovinae |
Large subfamily listed below
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Antilopinae |
Large subfamily listed below
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Ammotragus |
- Barbary sheep (A. lervia)
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Arabitragus |
- Arabian tahr (A. jayakari)
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Budorcas |
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Capra |
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Capricornis |
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Hemitragus |
- Himalayan tahr (H. jemlahicus)
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Naemorhedus |
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Oreamnos |
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Ovibos |
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Nilgiritragus |
- Nilgiri tahr (N. hylocrius)
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Ovis |
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Pseudois |
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Rupicapra |
- Pyrenean chamois (R. pyrenaica)
- Chamois (R. rupicapra)
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Boselaphini |
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Bovini |
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Tragelaphini |
Tragelaphus (including kudus) |
- Sitatunga (T. spekeii)
- Nyala (T. angasii)
- Harnessed bushbuck (T. scriptus)
- Cape bushbuck (T. sylvaticus)
- Mountain nyala (T. buxtoni)
- Lesser kudu (T. imberbis)
- Greater kudu (T. strepsiceros)
- Bongo (T. eurycerus)
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Taurotragus |
- Common eland (T. oryx)
- Giant eland (T. derbianus)
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Family Bovidae (subfamily Antilopinae)
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Antilopini |
Ammodorcas |
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Antidorcas |
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Antilope |
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Eudorcas |
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Gazella |
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Litocranius |
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Nanger |
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Procapra |
- Mongolian gazelle (P. gutturosa)
- Goa (P. picticaudata)
- Przewalski's gazelle (P. przewalskii)
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Saigini |
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Neotragini |
Dorcatragus |
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Madoqua |
- Günther's dik-dik (M. guentheri)
- Kirk's dik-dik (M. kirkii)
- Silver dik-dik (M. piacentinii)
- Salt's dik-dik (M. saltiana)
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Neotragus |
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Oreotragus |
- Klipspringer (O. oreotragus)
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Ourebia |
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Raphicerus |
- Steenbok (R. campestris)
- Cape grysbok (R. melanotis)
- Sharpe's grysbok (R. sharpei)
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Suidae |
Babyrousa |
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Hylochoerus |
- Giant forest hog (H. meinertzhageni)
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Phacochoerus |
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Porcula |
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Potamochoerus |
- Bushpig (P. larvatus)
- Red river hog (P. porcus)
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Sus (Pigs) |
- Palawan bearded pig (S. ahoenobarbus)
- Bornean bearded pig (S. barbatus)
- Indochinese warty pig (S. bucculentus)
- Visayan warty pig (S. cebifrons)
- Celebes warty pig (S. celebensis)
- Flores warty pig (S. heureni)
- Oliver's warty pig (S. oliveri)
- Philippine warty pig (S. philippensis)
- Wild boar (S. scrofa)
- Timor warty pig (S. timoriensis)
- Javan warty pig (S. verrucosus)
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Tayassuidae |
Tayassu |
- White-lipped peccary (T. pecari)
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Catagonus |
- Chacoan peccary (C. wagneri)
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Pecari |
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Whippomorpha (unranked clade)
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