| Description:
Indonesia.
There are six distinct subspecies of the sambar, which vary
in size and color. The coat is bristly and long. Only the stags
have antlers, which usually have three tines each, and can reach
a length of over a yard. Length of head and body can reach nine
feet, with the tail adding another 12 inches. It stands up to
five feet high at the shoulders, and weighs over 700 pounds.
Behavior: The diet consists mainly of grass, leaves, and wild
fruit. It is not easy to catch a glimpse of the sambar, even
where it is numerous, because at the slightest sound it darts
off into the depths of the forest. If attacked by a tiger, leopard,
or wild dogs, it often takes to streams and swims away. Except
for the mating season, it is solitary. During the mating season
the stags acquire harems which they defend vigorously from rivals.
Reproduction: In central and southern India the females give
birth during May and early June, but reproduction occurs at
different times in other parts of its range. After an eight-month
gestation, one or occasionally two fawns are born, which are
nursed for a few
months. |
