Deer, Sambar

Physical Features

The size and appearance of the Sambar Deer varies widely across their range. The Sambar's shaggy coat ranges from yellowish-brown to dark grey in color and although it is usually uniform in color, some of its subspecies have chestnut marks on their rump and underparts. Sambar Deer have a small but dense mane, which tends to be more prominent among the males. Its tail is relatively long for a deer, and its color is generally black above and white on the underside. Adult males and pregnant or lactating females have an unusual hairless, red spot that is located about half way down the underside of their throats. A whitish liquid sometimes oozes out and of this glandular location . The large, rugged antlers are typically rusine, the brow tines being simple and the beams forked at the tip, so that they have only three tines. The antlers are typically up to 110 cm (43 in) long in fully adult individuals. As with most deer, only the males have antlers. Adult Sambar Deer attains a height of between 102-160 cm/40-63in at the shoulder and they weigh between 225–320kg/500-710lb. Its head and body length range from 162-246cm/64 to 97in, with its tail being 25-30 cm/9.8 to 12 long. The western subspecies tend to be larger than those from the east.

Habitat

Of all the deer species in the world the Sambar Deer is the most widely spread, covering many countries in the Asian continent. They are found in habitats that range from tropical seasonal forests (tropical dry forests and seasonal moist evergreen forests), subtropical mixed forests to tropical rainforests. They are found mostly close to water bodies. These deer are found in altitudes of up to 3,500m/11,500ft above sea level in places such as eastern Taiwan, Myanmar, and the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. The Sambar Deer inhabits much of southern Asia (as far north as the south-facing slopes of the Himalayan Mountains), mainland Southeast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula), southern China, Taiwan, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia.

Diet

Sambar Deer feed on a variety of vegetation, including grasses, foliage, fruit, water plants as well as browse depending on what's available in the local habitat. They also feed on a great variety of shrubs and trees.

Meat

Sambar Deer meat is low in fat, low in calories and low in cholesterol. Its meat is dark red and has a distinct gamey taste. In Taiwan, Sambar and Sika Deer are raised on farms for their antlers, which they shed annually in winter and are highly prized for use as knife handles and as handgun grips.

Behavior

Sambar Deer are nocturnal mammals. The males live alone for much of the year except during the rutting season, while the females live in small herds of up to 16 individuals. These congregations are mostly near water. Sambar Deer are known to be good swimmers. As with most deer, Sambar Deer are generally quiet animals, although the males tend to bellow during the rut, and the adults make short, high-pitched sounds when alarmed. The Samber Deer has an acute sense of smell and hearing thus they commonly communicate by scent marking and by stamping their feet. Sambars are capable of bipedalism and stags will stand on their hind limbs in order to mark tree branches above them with their antlers. Breeding occurs mainly during the winter. During this time the males also shed their antlers and new ones start to grow almost immediately. The gestation period is 6 months. Weaning occurs after 9 -1 2 months and they reach sexual maturity after 18 months. Their most common predators are tigers, Asiatic lions and crocodiles.

You must select a state from the menu above to view regulations.