When I first moved to Texas, as I was driving home from a long day at graduate school, a flash of a large, white-spotted deer caught my eye. “Wow,” I thought, “that has got to be the biggest fawn (baby deer) that I have ever seen! I guess everything is bigger in Texas!” What I didn’t know at the time was that I was really looking at my first Axis deer (scientific name – Axis axis) and that these deer would go on to be the main focus of my research over the course of the next two years.
Originally from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, the Axis deer were brought to Texas in 1932 for hunting and to increase the natural beauty of the landscape. Populations of Axis deer grew very quickly, with many homeowners now seeing these deer as frequent visitors to their neighborhoods.
On some particularly hot days, you may even see a herd stopping off for a rest and drink of water in yards with lots of shade from dense trees. While you may see some people leaving out corn, fruit, or vegetables for passing deer, most Axis prefer a diet of grass and sedges.
A male (left) and female (right) Axis deer. Photos courtesy of Cheyenne Love.
Often described as a very charismatic and “showy” species of deer, both males and females can easily be identified by their white-spotted coat, which is usually seen only in the fawns of other types of deer. Also, both males and females have a large white spot under their throats and a dark black stripe that runs down the length of their backs.
Male Axis deer also grow large antlers during the Spring and Summer months, which they can use to help defend their herds and attract mates. Female Axis deer look like males, but do not grow antlers.
Photos courtesy of Cheyenne Love
While I did see Axis deer in the yards of my neighbors when I went to and from school, most of my research on them was done through the use of a game camera, which is where I got all of the above photos. I focused primarily on how Axis interacted with bodies of water and found that even during the peak of Summer, they did not much care for taking a dip! Instead, I saw many deer swing by the water for a quick drink before moving along to find food and shade.
Regardless, I was lucky to dedicate two years of work to increasing knowledge about this species and how they live. And every time I get the privilege to see one of them now, I still think to myself, “Wow, that’s one big fawn!”
