Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor)

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Sambar (Cervus unicolor Kerr, 1792)
Antler condition and breeding season

The period of breeding (rut) of sambar is determined by the annual antler

cycle of antler development, the frequency of sexual behaviour, and, in

a way, the time of fawning. Sambar stags exhibited a distinct antler cycle

in Sariska (Sankar 1994). Hard altlers were shed during the summer,

followed by emerging and velvet antlers during monsoon months. During

the remaining part of the year, sambar remained in hard antler stage. In

Bandipur sambar stags in hard antlers were observed largely between

November and April and most males had shed their antlers by May

(Johnsingh 1983). In St. Vincent Islands, Florida, during July and August

98 to 100 % of all sambar stags were in velvet antlers and most stags

shed their antlers between April and June (Shea

et al.

1990).

In India the peak rut of sambar occurs between October and December

(Lydekker 1916, Schaller 1967). Schaller (1967) reported that in Kanha

the rut spreads over a period of at least seven months with a peak in

November-December. In Sariska the peak rutting season was in winter

when almost all stags were carrying hard antlers (Sankar 1994). The

main rut of sambar in New Zealand was in June and July with a small

peak occurring in November (Kelton 1981).

Sex ratios

Schaller (1967) estimated a sex ratio of 0.2 males : 1 female in Kanha. In

Bandipur the average male : female ratio was 0.3 : 1, and the female:

fawn ratio was 1 : 0.3 (Johnsingh 1983). The male : female ratio in

Nagarahole (Karanth and Sunquist 1992) was 0.4 : 1. In Sariska the

estimated average male: female ratio was 0.1 : 1 and the average female:

fawn ratio was 1 : 0.2 (Sankar 1994). In Gir, the average male : female

ratio was 0.5 : 1, and the female : young ratio was 1 : 0.1 (Khan et a!.

1995). Flynn

eta!.

(1990) recorded the male : female : fawn ratio as 0.7 :

1 : 0.2 in Florida, USA. Richardson (1972) recorded a 1 : 1 male-female

ratio, and 1 : 0.2 female-fawn ratio in Texas, USA. The relatively low

male numbers may be either due to selective predation, or sambar stags

may be more vulnerable to stress conditions. 
In Kanha, sambar fawns were seen from April to December and the peak
fawning period was in May and June (Schaller 1967). However, in
Sariska most of the sambar fawns were dropped between November
and January (Sankar 1994).

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