A brown hog deer standing among tall grasses.
Attributed biological photograph

A brown hog deer standing among tall grasses.

Davidvraju; CC BY-SA 4.0. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

Male hog deer in India, as identified by the photographer. A narrower subspecies is not established.

Overview

ADW describes coarse olive-brown adult pelage, pale spotted fawns and large rounded ears with pale fringes. Males are larger and usually carry three-tined antlers; females lack antlers. Hog deer graze and browse in grassland clearings, and newborns hide in dense cover while mothers forage.

MDD places the species in Axis, subgenus Hyelaphus, including annamiticus despite alternative species treatments. It records extinction in China, Laos and Vietnam, introductions among modern Thai populations, and probable historical introduction to Sri Lanka.

Gupta et al. (2018) analysed mitochondrial control-region sequences and seven microsatellite loci from three Indian landscapes. Terai-to-Assam and Keibul Lamjao populations formed distinct lineages, Manipur haplotypes were shared with Southeast Asian annamiticus, and low Manipur diversity supports regional management units.

Olive-brown coatSpotted fawnsUsually three-tined male antlersGrazes and browses
01

Origins & earliest records

MDD records Zimmermann, 1780 and a West Bengal type locality. The study's model divergence estimate is not species origin.

02

Evidence & interpretation

Institutional morphology, MDD taxonomy and original population-genetics study.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

Family, evolution & connections

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

Source note: MDD includes annamiticus; alternative treatments split it.

  1. FamilyCervidae
  2. SubfamilyCervinae
  3. TribeCervini
  4. GenusAxis
  5. SubgenusHyelaphus
  6. SpeciesAxis porcinus

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Institutional species accountHog deer: ADW accountResearch access: 2026-10-07
  2. Taxonomic databaseHog deer: MDD recordResearch access: 2026-10-07
  3. Scientific articleGupta et al.: hog-deer genetics (2018)Research access: 2026-10-07

Image credits

Attributed biological photograph

A brown hog deer standing among tall grasses.

Davidvraju; CC BY-SA 4.0. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

Male hog deer in India, as identified by the photographer. A narrower subspecies is not established.

NH·178 · RESEARCH EDITION 01Back to top ↑