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DEER:
India
has the maximum number of deer species in the world. They inhabit almost all types of habitats except for the
drier areas of the country. They
form an important link in the food chain as they provide important food
resource to the large carnivores. TYPES
OF DEER: The
hang-up, or Kashmir stag as it is commonly known, is one of the two ‘races’
(individual of the species separated by a geographical barrier)
in India of the red deer of Europe. Its
coat ranges from dark brown two lighter shades in the under-parts.
It’s only found on the Northern side of the Kashmir Valley.
One of the best places to see them in the wild is in the Dachigam
National Park in the Jammu & Kashmir.
Hangul are essentially forest dwellers well adapted to cold, and is
found singly or in small parties. After
shedding their antlers in March-April, most stags go up hill and congregate
about the ‘snow-line’
(A geographical demarcation in the mountains, beyond which there
is permanent snow). They
spent the summer at an elevation of 2800-3500 m. rutting commences in October and until last December.
Fawns, usually one, are born in May.2.
SANGAI [Cervus
eldi eldi]: 3,
MUSK DEER [Moschus
moschiferus]: Family:
Facts:
Musk deer fall between
deer and antelopes. It is
hornless, and has no facial glands generally present in all deer, and it has
a gall bladder, which no other deer possesses.
It also has unique musk gland situated beneath the skin of the
male’s abdomen. This secretes
musk that helps in marking territory and helping females locate males during
the breeding season. The
absence of horns is compensated for by the development of the canine teeth,
particularly in the males
The Chital, or spotted deer, is
amongst the most widely distributed deer of the Indian sub-continent.
Indeed, it is also one of the most beautiful of all deer in the
world.Behavior: Family: This is the largest deer, with the
grandest antlers. It is fully
adapted to a forest life. Their size and color varies with the area in which they
are found. Sambhar are among
the largest and most magnificent animals to be seen in the Himalayan
foothills.Behavior:
Forested hillsides, preferably near cultivation, are their favorite haunt.
Their food consists of grass, leaves, and various kinds of wild
fruit. They feed mainly at
night and retire at daybreak. Sense
of sight is moderate, while the hearing and smell is acute. Family:
In central and southern India, most
stags cast (drop) tier antlers between end-March and
mid-April. Males fight for
territory. Takes place in
November-December. The young
are born in May-June. Facts: It
is a typical forest deer of Southeast Asia.
The coat is dull brown, coarse and shaggy, the stag forms a mane
about the neck and throat. At
its summit, the antler forms almost two equal tines or branches.
It is found throughout the forests of India. 6.
BARASINGHA [Cervus
duvaucelli]: Behavior:
In Assam and Uttar Pradesh, the Braising continue to remain almost partial
to their grassland habitat. In
Madhya Pradesh, they do move into the ‘sale’
(A type of timber tree dominating in North India) forests,
especially in early autumn. They
are highly gregarious, and may form herds of as many as 1,000 animals.
They feed until late in the morning, again in the evening and rest
during the day. Their eyesight
and hearing are moderate and heir sense of smell acute. Family:
The stags are not territorial, and the
male stag’s hierarchy and dominance is achieved more by display than
actual combat. Usually one
offspring is born at a time. Facts:
The coat almost wooly in texture shades from brown to yellowish brown. The stags are maned and darker in color.
Three sub-species occur today mainly in Dudhwa National Park and
adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh, Manas and Kaziranga National Parks in
Assam and in Kanha national Park in Madhya Pradesh. Behavior,
Family and Facts of DEER: BEHAVIOR:
In India, most deer begin their family life during the monsoon or
immediately after it, when optimum conditions prevail.
The older males come into ‘rut’
(peak breeding
season) first in comparison to the younger males.
The times of the rut and calving are so aligned that most young are
born when conditions are most propitious.
The young are striped or spotted, and are agile even when a few
minutes old. Of |