Four-horned antelope

The scientific name of the four-horned antelope is Tetracerus quadricornis. The generic name Tetracerus is the combination of two Greek words: tetra meaning "four" The specific name quadricornis is derived from two Latin words: meaning "four" and "horn". The four-horned antelope is known by several vernacular names: chausingha, chowsingha, chousingha (Hindi for "four horns"), doda, (mainly in central India) (Hindi); (Kannada); (Nepalese); (Tamil). ==Taxonomy and phylogeny==

The four-horned antelope is the sole member of the genus Tetracerus, and is placed under the family Bovidae. The species was first described by French zoologist Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville in 1816. The authority for Tetracerus is variously indicated according to interpretations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The name was first published in an 1825 publication by English naturalist Thomas Hardwicke but cited the English zoologist William Elford Leach – probably by an editor – as the authority in a footnote at the end of the publication. Philip Sclater and Oldfield Thomas listed Hardwicke as the genus authority by virtue of his being the author of the publication. However, Leach is now identified as the appropriate authority based on Article 50.1.1 of the Zoological Code. this was seconded by a similar study in 1999. The following cladogram is based on the 1992 study: • T. q. iodes (Hodgson, 1847): distributed north of the Ganges in Nepal • T. q. quadricornis (de Blainville, 1816): distributed in peninsular India • T. q. subquadricornutus (Elliot, 1839) distributed in the Western Ghats and southern India ==Evolution==

Though Boselaphini has no African representation today, fossil evidence supports its presence in the continent as early as the late Miocene – the two living antelopes of this tribe, in fact, have been found to have a closer relationship with the earliest bovids (like Eotragus species) than do the other bovids. This tribe originated at least 8.9 Mya, in much the same area where the four-horned antelope occurs today, and may represent the most "primitive" of all living bovids, having changed the least since the origins of the family. The extant and extinct boselaphine forms show similar development of the horn cores (the central bony part of the horn). It is thought that ancestral bovids had a diploid chromosome number of 58 which has reduced in Tetracerus to 38 through a process of concatenation of some chromosomes. Fossils of Protragocerus labidotus and Sivoreas eremita dating back to the late Miocene have been discovered in the Ngorora formation (Kenya). Fossils from the same period have also been excavated in the eastern Mediterranean region. Other Miocene fossils of boselaphines discovered are of Miotragocerus, Tragocerus and Tragoportax. Fossils of Miotragoceros are not apparent in Africa (only M. cyrenaicus has been reported from the continent), but have significant presence in the Shiwalik Hills in India and Pakistan, as do several Tragoportax species. A 2005 study suggested the migration of Miotragoceros to eastern Asia around 8 Mya. Alan W. Gentry of the Natural History Museum reported the presence of another boselaphine, Mesembriportax, from Langebaanweg (South Africa). Evidence of early humans hunting four-horned antelope during the Mesolithic period (5,000 to 8,000 years ago) have been found in the Kurnool caves of southern India and similar evidence has been found from the Chalcolithic period (3,000 years ago) in Orissa, eastern India. ==Description==

{{multiple image |perrow=1 |align=right The four-horned antelope is one of the smallest Asian bovids. The number of its horns distinguishes it from most of the other bovids, that have two horns The four-horned antelope stands at the shoulder and weighs ; the head-and-body length is typically between . Sexual dimorphism is not very notable, though only males possess horns. The hair feels coarse, more like that of a deer than the glossy hair typical of antelopes. Horns emerge at 10 to 14 months. ==Ecology and behaviour==

The four-horned antelope is diurnal (active mainly during the day), though it mainly rests or ruminates in dense undergrowth at noon. Though solitary by nature, the four-horned antelope may form loose groups of three to five. Groups consist of one or more adults, sometimes accompanied by juveniles. Males and females hardly interact, except in the mating season. Submissive display consists of shrinking the body, lowering the head and pulling the ears back. leopards, and dholes. Diet The four-horned antelope feeds on grasses, herbs, shrubs, foliage, flowers and fruits. A study in Mudumalai National Park (Tamil Nadu, India) showed that the antelope prefers grass species of the family Cyperaceae; genera Axonopus, Cynodon, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Panicum, Sehima and Sporobolus; and the species Imperata cylindrica, Ottochloa nodosa, Pseudanthistria umbellata and Themeda cymbaria. The shrub Grewia hirsuta is frequently eaten. Preferred herbs include Helichrysum, Indigofera and Tinospora species and Leucas aspera. The four-horned antelope feeds on the leaves of trees such as Cordia wallichii, Emblica officinalis, Randia dumetorum and Zizyphus xylopyrus. Grasses comprise nearly 29 percent of the diet, followed by foliage from trees (nearly nine percent). Grass and browse were consumed in nearly equal proportions. A study in the Panna National Park (Madhya Pradesh, India) showed preference for Zizyphus mauritiana, Acacia nilotica, A. leucophloea and A. catechu. Babool flowers were frequently eaten. The antelope often associates with langurs under fruiting trees, just as chital frequently do. Interaction with chital, a sympatric species, was infrequent. The antelope is wary when feeding, often raising its head and looking about its vicinity. The four-horned antelope needs to drink water frequently; as such it stays in places near water sources. Reproduction Breeding behaviour of the four-horned antelope has not been well studied. The age at which sexual maturity is gained is doubted; two captive females had their first parturition at less than two years. The breeding season in Panna National Park probably lasts from May to July, and from June to August in Mudumalai National Park. The male approaches the female in a relaxed gait, giving out low coughs. The two may kneel and push against each other with the necks intertwined. The male makes a few short mounting attempts; the female may be foraging all the while without any reaction. Gestation lasts about eight months, followed by the birth of one or two calves. The newborn has a head-and-body length of , and weighs . Juveniles are kept concealed for the first few weeks of birth. Births in Mudumalai National Park peak from February to April. Juveniles remain with their mothers for about a year. ==Distribution and habitat ==

The four-horned antelope is confined to the Indian subcontinent, occurring widely in disjunct and small populations. It ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south. Most of the existing populations lives in India, and lower numbers in adjoining Nepal. It inhabits open, dry deciduous forests in flat to hilly terrain. It prefers areas close to water that are covered with grasses or heavy undergrowth, for security. As many Ungulates are skittish by nature, the chousingha, notably, generally keeps away from human settlements; research suggests that human activities, construction, and feral dogs all adversely affect chousingha numbers, thus areas of less human habitation support more stable chousingha populations. The four-horned antelope was once common throughout deciduous forests in India, but the population has declined over time. In 2001, it was estimated to comprise about 10,000 mature individuals, with a decreasing trend. ==Threats and conservation==

The four-horned antelope is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is threatened by the loss of its natural habitat due to agricultural expansion. The four-horned antelope is protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972; the population in Nepal is listed in CITES Appendix III. • Gir National Park in Gujarat; • Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan; • Bandhavgarh National Park, Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanha National Park, Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve, Sanjay National Park, Satpura National Park in Madhya Pradesh; • Tadoba Andhari Reserve in Maharashtra; • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Ranthambore National Park, Rangayyanadurga Four–horned antelope Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. ==See also==