The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of mammary glands, the presence of hair or fur; specialized teeth; the presence of a neocortex region in the brain; and endothermic or 'warm-blooded' bodies. The brain regulates endothermic and circulatory system, including a four-chambered heart. In India there are 410 species, 186 genera, 45 families and 13 orders of which nearly 89 species are listed as threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006).

The barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii syn. Cervus duvaucelii), also called swamp deer, is a deer species found in India and to some extent in Nepal. The swamp deer species found in India and to some extent in Nepal. The swamp deer differs from all the Indian deer species in that the antlers carry more than three tines. Because of this distinctive character it is designated barasingha, meaning 'twelve-tined'. Mature stags have 10 to 14 tines, and some have been known to have up to 20. The barasingha is a large deer with a shoulder height of 44 to 46 in (110 to 120 cm) and a head-to-body length of nearly 6 ft (180 cm). Its hair is rather woolly and yellowish brown above but paler below, with white spots along the spine.

IUCN Status: Vulnerable (VU) Photo: Alosh Bennett