Sri Lanka Sambhur, sambur (Cervus Unicolour Unicolour)

-


Sinhalese: Gona

Tamil: Marrei or Komboo-marrei (stags)

Description: This is the largest deer in the island, the adult male averaging about 137 cm at the shoulder; the female being considerably smaller. They have a coarse, shaggy coat, and only the stags have antlers. These grow to an average length of about 68 cm. and are usually shed once the rutting period has passed. The new antlers are covered with a very sensitive skin called “velvet” , which dies and peels off once the antlers are fully formed.

Distribution: Found throughout the island wherever there are thick forests and jungles.

Habits: Sambhur are solitary animals, but occasionally very small groups of females and young are seen. They are very much an animal of heavy forests and feed on leaves, grasses and some fruits. They appear to be largely nocturnal, but where they enjoy full protection, they can be seen lying in the shade of some trees, or feeding in the open during the day. The stags love to wallow in water-holes, covering themselves in mud, possibly as protection against biting insects which seem to cause them great discomfort. They are also territorial, possibly moving away during the rutting period, and both sexes have excellent sight, hearing and smell. In captivity they have been known to live for about 10 years.

Breeding: The gestation period is about 8 months and normally only one fawn is born.

Comments

Sumedha said…
Useful article. Thank you for sharing.
April 23, 2014 at 11:27 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Lanka Python (Python Molurus Pimbura)

-
Image
Sinhalese: Dhara Pimbura, Ran Pimbura, Pimbura Tamil: Periya Pambu, Malai Pambu, Kaloodai Viriyan. Description: A huge snake which can grow to 8 meters, but usually average about 5.5 meters. Pythons have teeth, a very sensitive tongue, and jaws which can separate to enable them to swallow large prey. Distribution: Found in the jungles of the low country; occasionally in the lower hills hills and often near water. Habits: The python is diurnal, nocturnal and solitary. They swim well, can climb trees and are not venomous. Their food consists of small to medium sized animals which they catch using their teeth, kill by constriction and swallow whole once once the prey is dead. If the meal is substantial the python does not need to feed again for 4 or more months. They have good sight over short distances, are deaf, but can feel vibrations through the ground. Their extremely sensitive tongues can sense loud noises and convey smells to the scent organ in the roof of t
Read more

Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper – Black gram Syn. Phaseolus mungo L.

-
Image
Taxonomic classification           Kingdom: Plantae             Division: Magnoliophyta             Class: Magnoliopsida             Subclass: Asteridae             Order: Solanales             Family: Leguminosae             Genus: Vigna             Species: V.mungo V.mungo is one of the most highly-priced pulses of India, especially in the vegetarian diet. It is a diffusely branched, herbaceous annual with reddish brown hairs.     Various cultivars are recognized 1. Early-maturing cultivars, which have larger, black seeds 2. Late-maturing cultivars, which have smaller, olive-green seeds   Morphological characters     Stem: This is a diffusely branched, erect or sub-erect plant. The height ranges from 20-80cm. Leaves: The leaf is trifoliate with a long petiole. The stipules are ovate.   Flowers: The inflorescence is borne axillary and may have 2-3 branches. Five to six flowers are clustered at the top of the short hairy peduncle. The
Read more

Slender Loris (Loris Tardigradus)

-
Image
Sinhalese: Unahapuluwa Tamil: Thewangu Description: There are 4 races of the slender loris, each differing slightly in color and size. In two of the races, the female is larger than the male, and in the other two the sexes are similar in size. They range from about 18.5 cm to 25.5 cm and their fur is soft and wooly. Distribution: Found throughout the island in forests and jungles, but no-where common. Habits: The slender Loris is entirely nocturnal, and lives in pairs or singly. It spends the day curled up in a hollow branch or amongst the foliage. Their movements are slow and stealthy, and their food consists of small birds, insects, lizards, tree frogs etc. and occasionally fruit, but they never eat small mammals. Breeding: Very little is known. The gestation period is said to be at least 3 months, probably more and usually one young is born, sometimes two. They go everywhere with the mother clinging to the fur of her abdomen.
Read more