Sambar deer
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Sambar, common name for several large dark brown and maned Asian deer, particularly for the Indian species, which attains a height of 102 to 160 cm (40 to 63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 272 kg (600 lb). The coat is dark brown with chestnut marks on the rump and underparts. The large, rugged antlers are typically rusine, the brow tines being simple and the beams forked at the tip. In some specimens the antlers exceed 101 cm (40 in). Sambars are primarily browsers that live in woodlands and feed mainly on coarse vegetation, grass, and herbs. They are diurnal animals who live in herds of 5-6 members, grazing grass, sprigs, fruit and bamboo buds. These deer are seldom far from water and although primarily of the tropics, these deer are hardy and may range up to high elevations such as the mixed coniferous and deciduous forests in the Himalayan Mountains. Sambars drop antlers in April/May.
Reproduction
Mating Period: November/December.
Sambar males defend rutting territories and attempt to attract females by vocal and olfactory displays. With the exception of the Philippine Spotted Deer, sambar fawns are not spotted at birth.
Species Distribution
The Indian Sambar (Cervus unicolor) belongs to the family Cervidae and inhabit much of Southern Asia (as far north as the Himalayan Mountains), mainland Southeast Asia (including the Malay Peninsula), Southern China, and the Islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Taiwan.
There are two separate but similar species, the Philippine Sambar (Cervus Mariannus) and the Philippine Spotted Deer (also known as Visayan Spotted Deer or Alfred's Sambar) (Cervus Alfredi), that inhabit the Philippines Islands.
The Rusa Deer, or Sunda Sambar (Cervus Timorensis), inhabits Indonesia and, unlike the latter three species it is predominantly a grazer.
There are also a small herd of Sambar located on St. Vincent Island in Florida. These were brought in by the former owner, before he sold the island to the Nature Conservancy.
Species in Australia
Sambar deer is an introduced species in Australia, where its hunting is a popular sport, and large sambar trophies are very prized and those who are able to take a sambar deer in the highlands of Victoria and New South Wales (Where sambar are most prominent) is considered an admirable act in Australian hunting fraternaties.
References
- Deer Specialist Group (1996). [Cervus unicolor]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
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