Axis deer, or chital (Cervus axis Erxleben), is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is considered to be the most beautiful of deer, with a bright reddish coat marked with rows of white spots that persist throughout life. Antlers of males are large but simple, usually with only three points. Adult males weigh up to 200 pounds and females 35 percent less. The axis deer was first introduced into Texas in the 1930s and now occurs in at least forty-five counties. In Texas the major predators of the axis are coyotes and bobcats, but predation does not seem to be serious. Axis deer are also remarkably resistant to disease, a fact that may help explain their success as introduced animals.[Source]

Native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Asia Minor, fallow deer are the most widely kept of the world’s deer and have been introduced to all inhabited continents. This deer has been introduced to 93 Texas counties, primarily in the Edwards Plateau region. In 1988, the Texas population was estimated to be 14,163, both free-ranging and confined animals combined. Fallow deer do much of their feeding in open, grassy areas but require tree cover and undergrowth for shelter and winter food. [Source]

Whitetail deer are able to survive in a variety of terrestrial habitats, from the big woods of northern Maine to the deep saw grass and hammock swamps of Florida. They also inhabit farmlands, brushy areas and such desolate areas of the west such as the cactus and thornbrush deserts of southern Texas and Mexico. Whitetail deer are the most nervous and shy of our deer. They wave their tails characteristically from side to side when they are startled and fleeing. They are extremely agile and may bound at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour through tangled terrain in a forest. [Source]

Formerly, sika were native from southern Siberia and the adjacent Japanese island of Hokkaido south, along both the mainland and islands, to southeastern China and Formosa. Sika have rapidly disappeared from much of their range due to habitat loss. Sika have been introduced in 77 counties of central and southern Texas, with free-ranging populations known from 12 of these counties. In 1988, the total statewide population was estimated to be 11,879. Sika are woodland deer characteristic of broad-leaved and mixed forests where snowfall does not exceed 10-20 cm and snow-free sites are also available. Large forest tracts with dense understory and occasional clearings are ideal; the patchwork of brush cover and open grassland found in the Edwards Plateau and South Texas regions are well-suited to these deer. [Source]

The Indian blackbuck antelope (Antelope cervicapra, L.) is one of the most popular exotic animals in Texas. Since introduction in Kerr County in 1932, the blackbuck has multiplied to nearly 19,000 on ranches throughout the state. Nevertheless, most still inhabit the Edwards Plateau. Texas males average seventy-five centimeters (twenty-nine inches) in height at the shoulder. Females average seventy centimeters (twenty-eight inches). The blackbuck eats mainly grasses. As summer dries these, it eats more browse. Pods, fruits, and flowers supplement this diet. Blackbucks are timid at feed stations and will stand back while other animals feed. They can compete with the native white-tailed deer, however, when natural food is sparse, because whitetails cannot match the blackbuck's versatility in the use of different plants. [Source]