Gaur

This article is about the bovine animal. For other uses, see Gaur (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Gaur, West Bengal.

Gaur
Bos gaurus in captivity
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Bovidae
Subfamily:	Bovinae
Genus:	Bos
Species:	B. gaurus
Binomial name
Bos gaurus Smith, 1827
Synonyms
Bos gour Hardwicke, 1827 Bos cavifrons Hodgson, 1837, Bibos subhemachalanus Hodgson, 1837 Bos gaur Sundevall, 1846 Bos asseel Horsfield, 1851 Bubalibos annamiticus Heude, 1901

The gaur (Template:Pron-en) (Bos gaurus), also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations. Population trends are stable in well-protected areas, and are rebuilding in a few areas which had been neglected.

The gaur is the largest species of wild cattle, bigger than the African buffalo, the extinct aurochs, and wild water buffalo. The domesticated form of the gaur is called gayal or mithun.

The Malayan gaur is called seladang, and the Burmese gaur is called pyoung.

Characteristics

Gaur bull with the typical high dorsal ridge

Dimensions of gaur horns

Gaur are said to look like water buffalo at the front and domestic cattle at the back. They are the heaviest and most powerful of all wild cattle, and are among the largest living land animals; only elephants, rhinos and hippos consistently grow larger, and the weight of gaur may equal or even surpass that of a giraffe. Males have highly muscular bodies, with distinctive dorsal ridges and large dewlaps, forming a very powerful appearance. Females are substantially smaller, and their dorsal ridges and dewlaps are less developed. Their dark brown coats are short and dense. There are dewlaps under the chin which extend between the front legs. They have shoulder humps, especially pronounced in adult males.

• Body length: 250 to 360 centimetres (8 to 10 ft)
• Shoulder height: 170 to 220 centimetres (6 to 7 ft) On average, males stand about 180 to 190 centimetres (5 ft 11 in to 6 ft 3 in) at the shoulder, females about 20 centimetres (8 in) less.
• Tail length: 70 to 100 centimetres (28 to 39 in)
• Weight: Males often 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms (2,200 to 3,300 lb), females 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,500 to 2,200 lb) Weights vary between subspecies. Among the three subspecies, the southeast Asian gaur are the largest, and the Malayan gaur, or seladang, are the smallest. Male Indian gaur average 1,300 kilograms (2,900 lb), and the largest individuals may exceed 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb); whereas Malayan gaur usually weigh 1,000–1,300 kilograms (2,200–2,900 lb). The largest of all gaur, the southeast Asian gaur, weigh about 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) for an average male.

The gaur has a high convex ridge on the forehead between the horns, which bends forward, causing a deep hollow in the profile of the upper part of the head. There is a prominent ridge on the back. The ears are very large; the tail only just reaches the hocks, and in old bulls the hair becomes very thin on the back. In colour, the adult male gaur is dark brown, approaching black in very old individuals; the upper part of the head, from above the eyes to the nape of the neck, is, however, ashy gray, or occasionally dirty white; the muzzle is pale coloured, and the lower part of the legs are pure white or tan. The cows and young bulls are paler, and in some instances have a rufous tinge, which is most marked in individuals inhabiting dry and open districts.

Horns are found in both sexes, and grow from the sides of the head, curving upwards. They are 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. They grow to a length of 32 to 80 centimetres (13 to 31 in). A bulging grey-tan ridge connects the horns on the forehead. The horns are flattened to a greater or less degree from front to back, more especially at their bases, where they present an elliptical cross-section; this characteristic being more strongly marked in the bulls than in the cows.

The tail is shorter than in the typical oxen, reaching only to the hocks. The animals have a distinct ridge running from the shoulders to the middle of the back; the shoulders may be as much as 12 centimetres (5 in) higher than the rump. This ridge is caused by the great length of the spines of the vertebrae of the fore-part of the trunk as compared with those of the loins. The hair is short, fine and glossy, and the hooves are narrow and pointed.

Distribution and habitat

Indian gaur (Bos gaurus gaurus)

Malayan gaur or seladang (Bos gaurus hubbacki)

Gaur historically occurred throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia including Vietnam,Laos, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, China, India, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Today, the species is seriously fragmented within its range, and regionally extinct in Sri Lanka.

They are largely confined to evergreen forests, semi-evergreen, and moist deciduous forest but also occur in dry deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. Gaur habitat is characterized by large, relatively undisturbed forest tracts, hilly terrain below an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 ft (1,500 to 1,800 m), availability of water, and an abundance of forage in the form of grasses including bamboo, shrubs, and trees. Their apparent preference for hilly terrain may be partly due to the earlier conversion of most of the plains and other low lying areas to croplands and pastures. They occur from sea level up to at least 2,800 m (9,200 ft) altitude. Low lying areas seem to comprise optimal habitat.

In Vietnam, several areas in Dak Lak Province were known to contain gaur in 1997. Several herds persist in Cat Tien National Park and in adjacent state forest enterprises. The current status of the gaur population is poorly known; they may be in serious decline.

In Laos, up to 200 individuals were estimated to occur within protected area boundaries in the mid–1990s. They were reported discontinuously distributed in low numbers. Over-hunting had reduced the population, and survivors occured mainly in remote sites. Fewer than six National Biodiversity Conservation Areas held more than 50 individuals. Area with populations likely to be nationally important included the Nam Theun catchment and adjoining plateau. Subsequent surveys carried out a decade later using fairly intensive camera trapping did not record any gaur any more, indicating a massive decline of the population.

In Thailand, gaurs were once found throughout the country, but less 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.

In Bangladesh, a few gaur were thought to occur in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet, and Mymensingh areas in the early 1980s. But none had been seen in Pablakhali Wildlife Sanctuary situated in the Hill Tracts since the early 1970s. Individuals from Mizoram and Tripura cross into Bangladesh.

In Bhutan, they apparently persist all over the southern foot-hill zone, notably in Royal Manas National Park, Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Khaling Wildlife Sanctuary.

In Nepal, the gaur population was estimated to be 250–350 in the mid-1990s, with the majority in Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve. Population trends appeared to be relatively stable. The Chitwan population has increased from 188 to 296 animals in the years 1997 to 2007; a census conducted in Parsa Wildlife Reserve confirmed the presence of 37 gaurs in May 2008.

The largest populations are found today in India.

Ecology and behaviour

Wild gaur at a salt lick in Nagarhole National Park at Kabini

Where gaur have not been disturbed, they are basically diurnal. But where populations have been disturbed by human populations, gaur have become largely nocturnal, rarely seen in the open after eight in the morning. During the dry season, herds congregate and remain in small areas, dispersing into the hills with the arrival of the monsoon. While gaur depend on water for drinking, they do not seem to bathe or wallow.

In January and February, gaur live in small herds of 8 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 kilometres (1.2–3.1 mi) each day. Each herd has a nonexclusive home range, and sometimes herds may join in groups of 50 or more. The average population density is about 0.6 animals per square kilometre (1.5 animals per square mile), with herds having home ranges of around 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi).

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 kilometres (1 mi). Gaur have also been known to make a whistling snort as an alarm call, and a low, cow-like moo.

In some regions in India where human disturbance is minor, the gaur is very timid and shy. 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 unprovoked, especially during summer, when the 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.

Due to their formidable size and power, gaur have few natural enemies. Leopards and dhole packs occasionally attack unguarded calves or unhealthy animals, but only the tiger and the saltwater crocodile have been reported to kill a full-grown adult. 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. A herd of gaur in Malaysia encircled a calf killed by a tiger and prevented it from approaching the carcass. In Nagarahole National Park, upon sensing a stalking tiger, a herd of gaur walked as a menacing phalanx towards it, forcing the tiger to retreat and abandon the hunt. Gaur are not as aggressive toward humans as wild Asian water buffaloes.

There are several cases of tigers being killed by gaur. In one instance, a tiger was repeatedly gored and trampled to death by a gaur during a prolonged battle. A large male tiger carcass was found beside a small broken tree in Nagarahole National Park, being fatally struck against the tree by a large bull gaur a few days earlier.

Feeding

Adina cordifolia (Haldina) tree leaves

Wild gaur graze and browse on a wider variety of plants than any other ungulate species of India, with a preference for the upper portions of plants, such as leaf blades, stems, seeds and flowers of grass species, including kadam.

During a survey in the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park, 32 species of plants were identified as food for gaur. They consume herbs, young shoots, flowers, fruits of elephant apple with a high preference for leaves. Food preference varies by season. In winter and monsoon, they feed on preferably fine and fresh grass and herb species of the legume family such as tick clover, but also browse on leaves of shrub species such as karvy, Indian boxwood, mallow-leaved crossberry, East-Indian screw tree and chaste tree. In summer, they also feed on bark of teak teak, on fruit of golden shower tree, on bark and fruit of cashew. Gaur spent most of their daily time feeding. Peak feeding activity was observed in the morning between 6:30 and 8:30 am and in the evening between 5:30 and 6:45 pm. During the hottest hours of the day from 1:30 to 3:30 pm, they rest in the shade of big trees.

They may debark due to shortage 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.

Reproduction

Gaur have one calf (or occasionally two) after a gestation period of about 275 days, about nine months, a few days less than domestic cattle. Calves are typically weaned after seven to twelve months. Sexual maturity occurs in the gaur's second or third year. Breeding takes place year-round, but typically peaks between December and June. The lifespan of a gaur in captivity is up to thirty years.

Threats

In Laos, gaurs are highly threatened by poaching for trade to supply international markets, but also by opportunistic hunting, and specific hunting for home consumption. In the 1990s, they were particularly sought by Vietnamese poachers for their commercial value.

In Thailand, gaurs are highly threatened by poaching for commercial trade in meat and trophies.

Taxonomy

Illustration of bull gaur

In his first description of 1804, Aylmer Bourke Lambert applied the binomial Bos frontalis to a domestic specimen probably from Chittagong. In 1827, Charles Hamilton Smith applied the binomial Bos gaurus to the wild species occurring near Mainpat in the Sarguja Tributary States of India. Later authors subordinated the species under either Bos or Bibos.

In 2003, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has fixed the first available specific name based on a wild population that the name for this wild species is valid by virtue of its being antedated by a name based on a domestic form. Most authors have adopted the binomial Bos gaurus for the wild species as valid for the taxon.

Traditionally, three subspecies of Bos gaurus have been recognized:

• B. g. gaurus described by Smith in 1827 from central India; ranging to Nepal and Bhutan;
• B. g. readei described by Lydekker in 1903 from the hill forests of Upper Burma as ranging to Tenasserim;
• B. g. hubbacki described by Lydekker in 1907 from Pahang as ranging in Peninsular Malaysia and probably northward to Tenasserim.

This classification, based largely on differences in coloration and size, is no longer widely recognized.

Previously thought to be closer to bison, genetic analysis has found that they are closer to cattle with which they can produce fertile hybrids. They are thought to be most closely related to banteng, and are said to produce fertile hybrids with this species too.

Cloning

At 7:30 pm on 8 January 2001, the first successful birth of a cloned animal that is a member of an endangered species occurred, a gaur named Noah at Trans Ova Genetics in Sioux Center, Iowa. He was carried and brought successfully to term by a surrogate mother from another more common species, in this case a domestic cow named Bessie. While healthy at birth, Noah died within 48 hours of a common dysentery, likely unrelated to cloning.

Miscellaneous

The word gaur ([gau] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) is cognate with the English word "cow".

The gaur is the mascot for Malaysian football team, Perak FA.

Researchers have identified and synthesized a mosquito-deterrent from the gaur (Bos gaurus). One stereoisomer of the 18-carbon acid identified from the gaur appears to act in a different manner than known repellents. It serves as a "distractant", causing avoidance and compulsive grooming behavior in mosquitoes. This represents an unprecedented lead for the future development of mosquito repellents.

The popular energy drink "Red Bull" is made by an Austrian firm under license from a Thailand company who originally invented and marketed it in Southeast Asia. The original name of the drink in Thai is "Gratin Daang" which means "Red Gaur" ("gratin" is "gaur" in Thai).

See also

• Anoa
• Wild water buffalo
• Drawings by Douglas Hamilton
• Domestic Asian water buffalo
• Banteng
• Zebu, the common type of cattle from India: gaur may have contributed to some breeds.
• Aurochs
• Largest organisms
• Manjampatti White Bison

External links

• Video of tigers and gaurs
• Video of gaur
• ARKive: images and movies of the gaur (Bos frontalis)
• Images of Indian gaur
• Gaur in Bandhipur