Indian bison
- The gaur is the largest wild cattle: males up to 2.2 m at the shoulder and over 1000 kg.
- The gaur has horns up to 115 cm long, curved like a sickle. Males, unlike females, have a high ridge on their back formed by bones growing from the spine.
- The gaur is the largest of modern wild cattle, reaching a withers height of more than 1.8 m. Shot males during hunting had shoulder heights up to 197 cm.
- Females give birth to one calf after ~9 months.
- Grazes mainly at night and dusk.
- Lives in small herds led by females.
- High shoulder hump and white “socks” on the legs.
- In captivity more than 20 years.
- Status Vulnerable.
Age
The Indian bison’s typical lifespan is from 15 to 25 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 30 years, and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 13 years and 1 month to 23 years and 11 months. The species reaches sexual maturity between 1 year and 10 months and 3 years and 1 month of age; the young are born with their eyes open and begin walking immediately. The embryo stage involves development inside the mother, where the offspring receives nourishment from her. The calf stage lasts from 1 day to 1 year, during which the young drinks its mother’s milk, grows rapidly, and learns to find plants for food. The adult stage begins after the calf stage and lasts from 2 years to 30 years and 2 months, during which the animal is capable of reproduction and lives independently.
Phenotype
The Indian bison is a powerful animal with strong legs and a dark, short coat. The species has hard hooves that aid in traversing forest terrain and mountains. A high, muscular hump on the shoulders makes the silhouette even larger, and thick, curved horns grow from the head outwards and upwards, assisting in defense and demonstrating strength. Young Indian bison have softer fur that is lighter in color than that of adults.
Physiology
Indian bison have a body height ranging from 1.21 to 1.9 meters and a body length ranging from 1.4 to 2.2 meters; their mass is 0.82 metric tons. The embryo stage has a body mass ranging from 1 gram to 35 kilograms. The young have a body mass ranging from 35 to 200 kilograms and a body length ranging from 0.9 to 1.4 meters. Adult gaurs have a body mass ranging from 0.6 to 1.5 metric tons and a body length ranging from 1.7 to 2.2 meters.
Habitat
The Indian bison inhabits tropical dry forests with hot temperatures and a dry season, tropical moist forests that are consistently hot and humid with large trees and vines, and tropical savannas characterized by heat, uneven rainfall, and abundant grasses and trees; the species occupies terrestrial landscapes including woodlands, scrublands, and forests. It is found at elevations up to 2 kilometers above sea level, experiencing climates with little precipitation in winter and more in summer, hot temperatures with summer rains and minimal winter precipitation, hot conditions with heavy summer rains and scant winter rainfall, consistently hot weather with frequent rain but occasional dryness, and abundant summer rainfall paired with nearly no winter precipitation.
Shelter
Location – dense forest thickets and shrubs. Type of shelter – no permanent shelter. The animal does not have a permanent or long-term shelter. Shelter materials (list all) – grass. Purpose of shelter (list all) – rest, protection from the sun.
Geography
The Indian bison occupies the Indomalaya and Australasia biogeographical realms and is found in several ecosystems, including the lowland Chao Phraya moist deciduous forests, the northwestern Ghats moist deciduous forests, the northwestern Ghats montane rain forests, the southwestern Ghats montane rain forests, the Tenasserim and southern Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests, and the western Java rain forests.
Feeding
The Indian bison, also known as gaur or gaurs, is an herbivore that consumes only plants; it eats grass, young shoots, leaves of trees, bamboo, and sometimes fruits. The species obtains food by nipping at plants with its lips and tongue, utilizing a grazing strategy. Its diet includes grass, leaves, bamboo shoots, fruits, young shoots and sprouts, and fruits. Daily food consumption ranges from 20 kilograms to 40 kilograms. Panthers prey on the species. In some cultures, the animal is eaten, but beef is generally not consumed due to the sacredness of cows in Hinduism.
Reproduction
The Indian bison reproduces sexually, with the female gestating a single calf for nine months and one week. The young are born live on land and the mother cares for them for more than one year. Reproduction occurs through homogamy, always involving fertilization and without generational changes. The species inhabits and develops on land, outside of bodies of water. Maturity is reached between three and seven years. The interval between reproduction periods is from one to two years. A litter has one young.