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Fast Facts:

  • Has a peculiar bare patch of skin in the middle of the throat about 3 inches across with tiny spots of blood in the center. The purpose of the glandular lesion is unknown. However, it disappears in captivity.

  • Sambar are excellent swimmers.

Sambar Deer

Scientific Name: Cervidae Cervus Unicolor
Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla
Status: Stable
Range: Southeast Asia from the Philippines through southern China, Indonesia and Burma to India and Sri Lanka. Populations have been introduced to the United States, Australia and New Zealand for hunting purposes.
Habitat: Primarily in the woods or areas with dense scrub brush
Diet: Grass, foliage and fruit
Size: Length: Males are 5.5-8 feet and females are 5 to 6 feet
Height: 3.5 to 4.5 feet
Weight: Males are 290-540 pounds, females 240-400 pounds.
Lifespan: 15 yrs.
Location:
Print Fact Sheet Sambar

Special Features:

  • Only Males have antlers, which can grow up to 2.5 feet long.
  • Below each eye there is a tear gland that will protrude at will.
  • Acute sense of smell and hearing.
  • The sambar tends to alertly watch a predators and will keep giving alarm calls until the danger has passed instead of fleeing.
  • The male is darker and larger than the female.
  • Except for mating season, they are non-territorial.


Social Structure & Behavior:

Nocturnal. Males live solitary lives while females live in pairs or small groups.

Breeding/Care of Young:
Sexually mature at 2-4 years old. Mating season is November through December. Gestation is 8 months results in a single birth. The fawn stays with the mother one year. A young male grows antlers at age 2.

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