T. q. iodes (Hodgson, 1847) T. q. quadricornis (Blainville, 1816) T. q. subquadricornutus (Elliot, 1839) The four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), also called chousingha, is a small bovid antelope native to central, South and Western India, along with a smaller population in Nepal.

The sole member of the genus Tetracerus, the chousingha was first scientifically described in 1816 by French zoologist Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville.

Four-horned antelopes tend to inhabit areas with significant grass cover or heavy undergrowth, and avoid human settlements or the presence of dogs.

[3]: 422  The specific name quadricornis is derived from two Latin words: quattuor meaning "four"[3]: 351  and cornu "horn".

[3]: 421  The four-horned antelope is known by several vernacular names: chausingha, chowsingha, chousingha (Hindi for "four horns"), doda, ghutri (mainly in central India) (Hindi); kondu kuri (Kannada); chauka (Nepalese); nari komboo marn (Tamil).

[2] The four-horned antelope is the sole member of the genus Tetracerus, and is placed under the family Bovidae.

[2] A 1992 phylogenetic study showed a strong possibility of a clade consisting of Boselaphini, Bovini and Tragelaphini.

Bovini consists of the genera Bubalus, Bos, Pseudoryx (saola), Syncerus (African buffalo), Bison and the extinct Pelorovis.

[8] The following cladogram is based on the 1992 study:[7] Bovini Tragelaphini Boselaphini Colin Groves (2003) recognizes three subspecies of the four-horned antelope on the basis of distribution and physical characteristics such as coat colour, body size and the number of horns:[4][9] Though Boselaphini has no African representation today,[12] fossil evidence supports its presence in the continent during 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.

[17] Fossils of Protragocerus labidotus and Sivoreas eremita dating back to the late Miocene have been discovered in the Ngorora formation (Kenya).

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.

[20] Alan W. Gentry of the Natural History Museum reported the presence of another boselaphine, Mesembriportax, from Langebaanweg (South Africa).

[21] 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[22] and similar evidence has been found from the Chalcolithic period (3,000 years ago) in Orissa, eastern India.

[2] Slender with thin legs and a short tail, the four-horned antelope has a yellowish brown to reddish coat.

[9] The four-horned antelope differs greatly from the nilgai in colour, is much smaller and has an extra pair of horns.

[29] The four-horned antelope is diurnal (active mainly during the day), though it mainly rests or ruminates in dense undergrowth at noon.

Adults mark vegetation in their territories with a colourless secretion of preorbital glands, that soon condenses to form a white film.

[30] Latrine sites can be confused with those of the barking deer but the pellets are longer and larger in four-horned antelopes.

[32] Submissive display consists of shrinking the body, lowering the head and pulling the ears back.

[34] 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 four-horned antelope feeds on the leaves of trees such as Cordia wallichii, Emblica officinalis, Randia dumetorum and Zizyphus xylopyrus.

[31] A study in the Panna National Park (Madhya Pradesh, India) showed preference for Zizyphus mauritiana, Acacia nilotica, A. leucophloea and A. catechu.

[2] The four-horned antelope is confined to the Indian subcontinent, occurring widely in disjunct and small populations.

[citation needed] The four-horned antelope was once common throughout deciduous forests in India, but the population has declined over time.