''Axis'' is a genus of deer occurring in South and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. As presently defined by most authorities, four species are placed in the genus. Three of the four species are called hog deer. The genus name is a word mentioned in

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

's '' Natural History''.

Species

Following the third edition of '' Mammal Species of the World'' from 2005, which is also followed by the American Society of Mammalogists, four species are placed in ''Axis''. These four species are divided into two subgenera; ''Axis'' containing the chital, and ''Hyelaphus'' containing the 3 others.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q783065 Axis Cervines Mammal genera Taxa named by Charles Hamilton Smith