Axis

The chestnut coat with its snowy white spots sets this animal apart from its White Tail cousins, in that it retains its spots into adulthood.  Coloring sets the two sexes apart with the males having a darker brown coat than the female, and even though born with the black whorls on the head only the buck will grow antlers.  Sweeping gracefully up with an intermediate time on the inside and long brow tines up to 18", the antlers measure between 22-30 inches with bases that can be over 7" in diameter.  The Axis male can weigh up to 250 pounds and be 39 inches in height, females up to 145 pounds and 33 inches.

The Axis habitat is well adapted to the Texas regions due to the abundant grazing areas available.  They prefer early morning activity, retiring to the brushy areas around mid-morning, avoiding open areas in the full sun when hot or stormy, and returning to graze and water mid or late afternoon, and can continue well into the night.  The Axis will form units up to 15 animals in a group consisting of doe, fawn(s), yearlings, and can include the male of the species as well.  Larger groups are known to exist at times, but normally the animals group by sex or age as the year progresses, the males being very tolerant of young bucks and those in velvet.