Gaur
Gaur | |
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Bull | |
Cow and calf | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Bovidae |
Subfamily: | Bovinae |
Genus: | Bos |
Species: | B. gaurus
|
Binomial name | |
Bos gaurus (Smith, 1827)
| |
Present range |
The gaur (Bos gaurus;
It is the largest species among the wild cattle and the Bovidae.[3] The domesticated form of the gaur is called gayal (Bos frontalis) or mithun.[4]
Etymology
The Sanskrit word गौर gaura means 'white, yellowish, reddish'. The Sanskrit word gaur-mriga means a kind of water buffalo.[5]
The Hindi word गौर gaur means 'fair-skinned, fair, white'.[6]
Taxonomy
Bison gaurus was the
To date, three gaur subspecies have been recognized:
- B. g. gaurus; the nominate subspecies, ranges in India, Nepal and Bhutan.[8]
- B. g. readei; described by Richard Lydekker in 1903, based on a specimen from Myanmar, and is thought to range from Upper Myanmar to Tanintharyi Region.[9]
- B. g. hubbacki; described by Lydekker in 1907, based on a specimen from Pahang in Peninsular Malaysia.[9] It was thought to range from Peninsular Malaysia and northward through Tenasserim. This classification, based largely on differences in coloration and size, is no longer widely recognized.[10]
In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature fixed the valid specific name of the wild gaur as the first available name based on the wild population, despite being antedated by the name for the domestic form. Most authors have adopted the binomial Bos gaurus for the wild species as valid for the taxon.[11]
In recognition of
Within the genus Bos, the gaur is most closely related to the banteng (Bos javanicus) and the probably now extinct kouprey (Bos sauveli), which are also native to Southeast Asia. Relationships of members of the genus Bos based on nuclear genomes after Sinding, et al. 2021.[12]
Bos |
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Characteristics
The gaur is the largest extant bovid.
The gaur has a distinct dewlap on the throat and chest.[14] Both sexes have horns, which grow from the sides of the head, curving upwards. Between the horns is a high convex ridge on the forehead. At their bases they present an elliptical cross-section, a characteristic that is more strongly marked in bulls than in cows. The horns are decidedly flattened at the base and regularly curved throughout their length, and are bent inward and slightly backward at their tips. The colour of the horns is some shade of pale green or yellow throughout the greater part of their length, but the tips are black.[14] The horns, of medium size by large bovid standards, grow to a length of 60 to 115 cm (24 to 45 in).[4] The cow is considerably lighter in colour than the bull. Her horns are more slender and upright, with more inward curvature, and the frontal ridge is scarcely perceptible. In young animals, the horns are smooth and polished. In old bulls they are rugged and dented at the base.[15]
The gaur has a head-and-body length of 250 to 330 cm (8 ft 2 in to 10 ft 10 in) with a 70 to 105 cm (28 to 41 in) long tail, and is 142 to 220 cm (56 to 87 in) high at the shoulder, averaging about 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) in females and 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) in males. At the top of its muscular hump just behind its shoulder, an average adult male is just under 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) tall and the male's girth at its midsection (behind its shoulders) averages about 277 cm (9 ft 1 in). Males are about one-fourth larger and heavier than females.[4] Body mass ranges widely from 440 to 1,000 kg (970 to 2,200 lb) in adult females and 588 to 1,500 kg (1,296 to 3,307 lb) in adult males. In general, measurements are derived from gaurs surveyed in India. In a sample of 13 individuals in India, gaur males averaged about 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) and females weighed a median of approximately 700 kg (1,500 lb).[16][17] In China, the shoulder height of gaurs ranges from 165 to 220 cm (5 ft 5 in to 7 ft 3 in), and bulls weigh up to 1,500 kg (3,300 lb).[18]
Distribution and habitat
The gaur historically occurred throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. Today, its range is seriously fragmented, and it is regionally extinct in Peninsular Malaysia and Sri Lanka.[2] It is largely confined to
In Nepal, the gaur population was estimated to be 250–350 in the mid-1990s, with the majority in Chitwan National Park and the adjacent Parsa National Park. These two parks are connected by a chain of forested hills. Population trends appeared to be relatively stable.[2] The Chitwan population has increased from 188 to 368 animals in the years 1997 to 2016. Census conducted in Parsa National Park confirmed the presence of 112 gaur in the same period.[21]
In India, the population was estimated to be 12,000–22,000 in the mid-1990s. The
In Bhutan, they apparently persist all over the southern foothill zone, notably in
In Bangladesh, a few gaur occur in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, mostly in Banderban district. During a camera trap project, few gaur were recorded indicating that the population is fragmented and probably declining.[24] Gaurs are hunted by local tribal people in Sangu Matamuhari reserve forest although hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh.[25]
In Thailand, gaur were once found throughout the country, but fewer than 1,000 individuals were estimated to have remained in the 1990s. In the mostly semi-evergreen Dong Phayayen – Khao Yai Forest Complex, they were recorded at low density at the turn of the century, with an estimated total of about 150 individuals.[26]
In Vietnam, several areas in
In Cambodia, gaur declined considerably in the period from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. The most substantial population of the country remained in Mondulkiri Province, where up to 1000 individuals may have survived up to 2010 in a forested landscape of over 15,000 km2 (5,800 sq mi).[29] Results of camera trapping carried out in 2009 suggested a globally significant population of gaur in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary and the contiguous Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary,[30] and line transect distance sampling from Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary showed around 500 individuals in 2010. Since then, there has been rapid decline of these populations, and likely all populations across Cambodia. Updated figures for Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary show a decline to only 33 individuals in 2020,[31] and 2020 encounter rates in Sre Pok Wildlife Sanctuary and Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary were too low to analyze with distance sampling.[32]
In Laos, up to 200 individuals were estimated to inhabit protected area boundaries in the mid-1990s.
In China, the gaur was present up to the
In 2016, it was estimated that the population has declined by more than 70% in
Ecology and behaviour
Where gaur have not been disturbed, they are basically
In January and February, gaur live in small herds of eight to 11 individuals, one of which is a bull. In April or May, more bulls may join the herd for mating, and individual bulls may move from herd to herd, each mating with many cows. In May or June, they leave the herd and may form herds of bulls only or live alone. Herds wander 2–5 km (1–3 mi) each day. Each herd has a nonexclusive home range, and sometimes herds may join in groups of 50 or more.[36]
Gaur herds are led by an old adult female, the matriarch. Adult males may be solitary. During the peak of the breeding season, unattached males wander widely in search of receptive females. No serious fighting between males has been recorded, with size being the major factor in determining dominance. Males make a mating call of clear, resonant tones which may carry for more than 1.6 km (1 mi). Gaur have also been known to make a whistling snort as an alarm call, and a low, cow-like moo.[37]
In some regions in India where human disturbance is minor, the gaur is very timid and shy despite their great size and power. When alarmed, gaur crash into the jungle at a surprising speed. However, in Southeast Asia and South India, where they are used to the presence of humans, gaur are said by locals to be very bold and aggressive. They are frequently known to go into fields and graze alongside domestic cattle, sometimes killing them in fights. Gaur bulls may charge without provocation, especially during summer, when the intense heat and parasitic insects make them more short-tempered than usual. To warn other members of its herd of approaching danger, the gaur lets out a high whistle for help.[15]
Feeding ecology
The gaur grazes and browses mostly the upper portions of plants, such as leaf blades, stems, seeds and flowers of grass species, including kadam Adina cordifolia.[38] During a survey in the
They may debark trees due to shortages of preferred food, and of minerals and trace elements needed for their nutrition, or for maintaining an optimum fiber/protein ratio for proper digestion of food and better assimilation of nutrients. They may turn to available browse species and fibrous teak bark in summer as green grass and herbaceous resources dry up. High concentrations of calcium (22400 ppm) and phosphorus (400 ppm) have been reported in teak bark, so consumption of teak bark may help animals to satisfy both mineral and other food needs. Long-term survival and conservation of these herbivores depend on the availability of preferred plant species for food. Hence, protection of the historically preferred habitats used by gaur is a significant factor in conservation biology.[39]
Reproduction
Sexual maturity occurs in the gaur's second or third year. Breeding takes place year-round, but typically peaks between December and June. Females have one calf, rarely two, after a gestation period of about 275 days, a few days less than domestic cattle. Calves are typically weaned after seven to 12 months. The lifespan of a gaur in captivity is up to 30 years.[36]
Natural predators
Due to their size and power, gaur have few natural predators besides humans. Leopards, dhole packs and large mugger crocodiles occasionally attack unguarded calves or unhealthy animals. Only tigers and saltwater crocodiles have been reported to kill adult gaur. However, the habitat and distribution of the gaur and saltwater crocodile seldom overlap in recent times, due to the decreasing range of both species. A crocodile likely would need to be a mature adult male (more than 3.7 m or 12 ft and 300 kg or 660 lb) to make a successful attack on healthy adult gaurs.[40][41][42]
Tigers hunt young or infirm gaur, but have also been reported to have killed healthy bulls weighing at least 1,000 kg (2,200 lb).[43] When confronted by a tiger, the adult members of a gaur herd often form a circle surrounding the vulnerable young and calves, shielding them from the big cat. As tigers rely on ambush attacks when taking on prey as large as a gaur, they will almost always abandon a hunt if detected and met in this manner.[44] A herd of gaur in Malaysia encircled a calf killed by a tiger and prevented it from approaching the carcass.[19] Nevertheless, the gaur are formidable opponents to the tigers, and they are capable of killing tigers in self-defence.[45]
Threats
In Laos, the gaur is highly threatened by poaching for trade to supply international markets, but also by opportunistic hunting, and specific hunting for home consumption.[34] In the 1990s, gaurs were particularly sought by Vietnamese poachers for their commercial value.[33] In Thailand, the gaur is severely threatened by poaching for commercial trade in meat and trophies.[26]
Conservation
The gaur is listed in
In captivity
On 8 January 2001, the first cloned gaur was born at Trans Ova Genetics in Sioux Center, Iowa. The calf was carried and brought successfully to term by a surrogate mother, a domestic cow (Bos taurus). While healthy at birth, the calf died within 48 hours of a common dysentery, most likely unrelated to cloning.[46]
In popular culture
- The gaur is the mascot of the 54th Infantry Division of the Indian Army, which is also called the Bison Division.
- The gaur is the state animal of Goa and Bihar.[47][48] The Gaur is also the mascot of Goan football club FC Goa, competing in Indian Super League, where their team often referred as "The Gaurs".[49]
- The Red Gaurs (Thai: กระทิงแดง Krathing Daeng) were an extreme right-wing paramilitary organization active in Thailand during the 1970s.[50]
- Krating Daeng today is a brand of energy drink featuring a pair of charging red gaur bulls in the logo; also used on the licensed derivative, "Red Bull".[51]
See also
References
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- ^ ISBN 9780801857898.
- ^ Macdonell, A. A. (1929). "गौर". A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout. London: Oxford University Press. p. 87.
- ^ Caturvedi, M. (1970). "गौर". A practical Hindi-English dictionary. Delhi: National Publishing House. p. 184.
- ^ Smith, C. H. (1827). "Sub-genus II. Bison". In Griffith, E. (ed.). The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization. Vol. 5. Class Mammalia. London: Geo. B. Whittaker. pp. 373–375.
- ^ a b Ellerman, J. R. & Morrison-Scott, T. C. S. (1966). "Bos gaurus H. Smith, 1827". Checklist of Palaearctic and Indian mammals 1758 to 1946 (Second ed.). London: British Museum of Natural History. p. 381.
- ^ a b Lydekker, R. (1913). "Bos gaurus readei". Catalogue of the ungulate mammals in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1. London: Trustees of the British Museum. p. 20.
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- ^ a b c Lydekker, R. (1888–1890). "The Gaur (Bos gaurus)". The new natural history. Vol. 2. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). pp. 175–180.
- ^ a b Sanderson, G. P. (1907). "XVIII, XVIV". Thirteen Years Among the Wild Beasts of India: Their Haunts and Habits from Personal Observation (6th ed.). Edinburgh: John Grant. pp. 243–265.
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- ^ Mausam (11 June 2016). "Bison population increasing in CNP". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ Ranjitsinh, M. K. (1997). Beyond the Tiger: Portraits of Asian Wildlife. New Delhi: Birajbasi Printers.
- ISBN 9781681080215.
- ^ Hance, J. (2016). "Tiger country? Scientists uncover wild surprises in tribal Bangladesh". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ Chowdhury, M. S. H. (2012). Status and impact of traditional forest fauna harvesting by the Mro tribe in the hill forests of Bangladesh: Policy implications for biodiversity conservation (PDF). London: The Rufford Foundation. pp. 1–15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ a b Lynam, A. J.; Round, P.; Brockelman, W. Y. (2006). Status of birds and large mammals of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, Thailand (PDF). Bangkok, Thailand: Biodiversity Research and Training Program and Wildlife Conservation Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ Le Xuan Canh, Pham Trong Anh, Duckworth, J. W., Vu Ngoc Thanh, Lic Vuthy (1997). A survey of large mammals in Dak Lak Province, Viet Nam. Hanoi, Viet Nam: Unpublished report to IUCN and WWF.
{{cite book}}
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- ^ Tordoff, A. W.; Timmins, R. J.; Maxwell, A.; Huy Keavuth; Lic Vuthy; Khou Eang Hourt (2005). Biological assessment of the Lower Mekong Dry Forests Ecoregion. Phnom Penh, Cambodia: WWF Greater Mekong Programme.
- ^ Channa, P.; Sovanna, P.; Gray, T. N. E. (2010). "Recent camera trap records of globally threatened species from the Eastern Plains Landscape, Mondulkiri" (PDF). Cambodian Journal of Natural History. 2010 (2): 89–93. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 July 2011.
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- ^ Groenenberg, M.; Crouthers, R.; K., Y. (2020). Population Status of Ungulates in the Eastern Plains Landscape of Cambodia (Report). ?: ?.
- ^ a b Timmins, R. J.; Evans, T. D. (1996). Wildlife and Habitat Survey of the Nakai-Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area, Khammouan and Bolikhamsai Provinces, Lao PDR (PDF). Vientiane, Lao PDR: A report to Centre for Protected Areas and Watershed Management, Department of Forestry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
- ^ a b Duckworth, J. W.; Salter, R. E.; Khounboline, K. (1999). Wildlife in Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report (PDF). Vientiane: IUCN – The World Conservation Union / Wildlife Conservation Society / Centre for Protected Areas and Watershed Management. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
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- ^ Huffman, B. (2004). "Bos frontalis – Gaur". ultimateungulate.com.
- ^ Shukla, R. & Khare, P. K. (1998). "Food habits of wild ungulates and their competition with live stock in Pench Wildlife Reserve central India". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 95 (3): 418–421.
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- ^ Melletti, M.; Burton, J., eds. (2014). Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour of Wild Cattle: Implications for Conservation. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ Guggisberg, C. A. W. (1972). Crocodiles. Their Natural History, Folklore and Conservation. Newton Abbot, England: David & Charles Limited.
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- ^ Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (2001). "Press Release – First cloned endangered animal was born at 7:30 pm on Monday, 8 January 2001". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008.
- ^ "Gimps of last surviving herd of state animal of Goa". Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- ^ "State animal of Bihar (Gaur) – complete detail – updated". natureconservation.in. 12 March 2020.
- ^ "" About Us - FC Goa"".
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- ^ "Story behind world's top energy drink: how Thailand created Red Bull". South China Morning Post. 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
External links
- Herd of about 30 Indian Gaur at Sathyamangalam Forests
- Tigers hunt Largest Wild Cattle Gaurs !
- Video of tigers and gaurs
- Video of gaur
- ARKive: images and movies of the gaur (Bos frontalis)
- Images of Indian gaur
- Gaur in Bandhipur
- Tiger kills adult Gaur
- The Hindu.com: A date with bisons in Madurai
- The Hindu.com: Bison recolonising Jawadhu Hills, says forest official
- Kamalakkannan, Ranganathan; Bhavana, Karippadakam; Prabhu, Vandana R.; Sureshgopi, Dhandapani; Singha, Hijam Surachandra; Nagarajan, Muniyandi (20 July 2020). "The complete mitochondrial genome of Indian gaur, Bos gaurus and its phylogenetic implications". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 11936. PMID 32686769.
- Chaiyarat, Rattanawat; Prasopsin, Suphat; Bhumpakphan, Naris (8 February 2021). "Food and nutrition of Gaur (Bos gaurus C.H. Smith, 1827) at the edge of Khao Yai National Park, Thailand". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 3281. PMID 33558608.
- "Past, present and future habitat suitable for gaur (Bos gaurus) in Thailand". Agriculture and Natural Resources. 55 (5). 2021. S2CID 244816249.
- Bhaydiya, Nilesh (15 February 2021). "Ecology of Gastrointestinal Parasites Interactions in Wild Gaur (Bos gaurus)". Journal of Animal Research. 11 (1). ProQuest 2546152600.