EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

The Hog Deer of South Asia

Hog Deer (Hyelaphus [prev. Axis] porcinus), Family Cervidae
Dudhwa National Park, India

Explanation:  Ranging from Pakistan through northern India and into southeast Asia is this diminutive deer that breaks all the rules.

This is a hog deer ... apparently so named for its habit of running with its head held down as do pigs, hogs, and wild boar, and for appearing more like a porcine with their short legs and sloping back.  

But what rules does it break?

For one, hog deer do not form herds as do many other species of deer.  Instead, they mostly remain solitary, or occur only in small temporary groups. 

And when a threat arises, they scatter in different directions instead of running together as a unit.  This might be explained by the habitat they select for, being dense low cover in which maintaining her unity can be difficult.  Being secretive and hidden may be a better defense for a smaller animal with shorter legs and slower escape speed.  

The antlers of the male hog deer are three-tined.
 

For another, males mate with and defend only a single female at a time (this is called "serial monogamy") instead of creating harems.  

Hog deer have declined in distribution and numbers over the decades, as their woodland habitats have been disturbed.  They are rated as endangered under the IUCN Red List.  Sanctuaries, such as Dudhwa and Kaziranga National Parks in India, are crucial for their survival.
  

Two does, showing the characteristic longer hind legs,
giving the hog deer a "sloping" appearance.

Hog deer have been introduced into Texas and Australia for trophy hunts.