Scientific Name:
Cervus unicolor

Classification:
Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Cervidae

Description:
There are 6 distinct subspecies which vary in size and color. The coat is hispid and long. Only the stags have antlers, which usually have three lines each and can reach a length of 1m (3.3 ft). Length of head and body 1.7-2.7m (5.7-9 ft); weight 150-315 kg (340-710 lbs).

Behavior:
The diet consists mainly of grass, leaves, and wild fruit. It is not easy to catch a glimpse of the sambar, even where it is numerous because at the slightest sound it darts off into the depths of the forest. If attacked by a tiger, leopard, or wild dogs, it often takes to streams and swims away. Except for the mating season, it is solitary. During the mating season the stags acquire harems, which they defend vigorously from rivals. In central and southern India the females give birth during May and early June, but reproduction occurs at different times in other parts of its range. After an 8-month gestation, 1 or rarely 2 fawns are born; they are nursed for a few months.

Distribution:
India, Indonesia, South East Asia.

Habitat:
Humid tropical and subtropical forests, up to an altitude of 10,000 feet.