Saran Vaid
Male Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor) in Bandhavgarh National Park, India
Sambar (also sambur, sambhur), is the common name for several large dark brown and maned Asian deer, particularly for the Indian species (Cervus unicolor), which attains a height of 102 to 160 cm (40 to 63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 546 kg (1200 pounds), though more typically 162-260 kg (357-574 pounds). The coat is dark brown with chestnut marks on the rump and underparts.
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 on grass, sprigs, fruit and bamboo buds.
These deer are seldom far from water and, although primarily of the tropics, are hardy and may range from sea level up to high elevations such as the mixed coniferous/deciduous forest zone in the Himalayan Mountains sharing its range with the Himalayan musk deer.
Sambars are a favorite prey item for tigers. They also can be taken by crocodiles, mostly the sympatric Mugger Crocodiles. More rarely, leopards and dholes will take young or sickly deer.
Though they have no specific mating season, sambars commonly mate from September and on to January in the Northern hemisphere. Males defend rutting territories and attempt to attract females by vocal and olfactory displays. The males are solitary and highly aggressive toward other males during this time. Females may live in groups of eight. A male may have one whole group of females in his territory.
The gestation period for the females is around 9 months with one fawn born at a time. Sambar fawns have brown hair with light spots which they lose very shortly. Fawns stay with their mothers for up to two years.
Male Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor) in Bandhavgarh National Park, India
Sambar (also sambur, sambhur), is the common name for several large dark brown and maned Asian deer, particularly for the Indian species (Cervus unicolor), which attains a height of 102 to 160 cm (40 to 63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 546 kg (1200 pounds), though more typically 162-260 kg (357-574 pounds). The coat is dark brown with chestnut marks on the rump and underparts.
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 on grass, sprigs, fruit and bamboo buds.
These deer are seldom far from water and, although primarily of the tropics, are hardy and may range from sea level up to high elevations such as the mixed coniferous/deciduous forest zone in the Himalayan Mountains sharing its range with the Himalayan musk deer.
Sambars are a favorite prey item for tigers. They also can be taken by crocodiles, mostly the sympatric Mugger Crocodiles. More rarely, leopards and dholes will take young or sickly deer.
Though they have no specific mating season, sambars commonly mate from September and on to January in the Northern hemisphere. Males defend rutting territories and attempt to attract females by vocal and olfactory displays. The males are solitary and highly aggressive toward other males during this time. Females may live in groups of eight. A male may have one whole group of females in his territory.
The gestation period for the females is around 9 months with one fawn born at a time. Sambar fawns have brown hair with light spots which they lose very shortly. Fawns stay with their mothers for up to two years.