Principal source: Anderson, 1999. Axis Deer Overview & Profile
Davis and Schmidly, 1997. The Mammals of Texas.
Compiler: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) & IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG)
Review: Tyler A. Campbell, PhD. Research Wildlife Biologist Field Station Leader USDA-APHIS-WS National Wildlife Research Center Texas Field Station USA
Publication date: 2010-01-25
Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Axis axis. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=972 on 02-11-2024.
\r\nAnderson (1999) reports that A. axis cause crop damage when natural forage is scarce. In their introduced range, they can also compete directly with cattle for forage. Although they prefer to graze grass, it is clear that the deer will respond to available forage conditions and eat what is available to them, which causes damage to local native species. A. axis can also graze forage grasses and other plants much closer to the ground than domesticated species. In extreme drought conditions, A. axis will eat bark off trees (Anderson, 1999).
\r\nA. axis have been found to carry and transmit bovine tuberculosis and several other diseases. They carry common parasites that can directly affect humans if and when droppings enter freshwater systems. Parasitic zoonoses harbored by A. axis include: leptospirosis, cryptosporidiosis, and strains of Escherichia coli (Anderson, 1999).
Physical: The most successful control strategies for A. axis has been a combination of fencing and hunting. Control by fencing is not 100% and deer often escape. A. axis are able to jump over 2m fencing and studies show that 3m or higher fencing is required to adequately keep A. axis out of, or inside, an area.
Once A. axis become established in urban and suburban areas, hunting does not remain a practical method of control, therefore it is best to gain control of A. axis populations before they become established in suburban areas (Anderson, 1999; and the University of Hawai‘I, Undated).
Biological: Reproductive control using such techniques as contraception and sterilisation are possibilities for management but are expensive and time-consuming, requiring many man hours of labor intensive field work. New Zealand controls its exotic deer populations through recreational and commercial hunting, which have been very effective.