HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The barasingha (''Rucervus duvaucelii''), sometimes barasinghe, also known as the swamp deer, is a deer
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
distributed in the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
. Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. It has been extirpated in
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, and its presence is uncertain in
Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
. The specific name commemorates the French naturalist Alfred Duvaucel. The swamp deer differs from all other Indian deer species in that the
antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...
s carry more than three tines. Because of this distinctive character it is designated ''bārah-singgā'', meaning "twelve-horned" in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
. Mature stags usually have 10 to 14 tines, and some have been known to have up to 20.


Characteristics

The barasingha is a large deer with a shoulder height of and a head-to-body length of nearly . Its hair is rather woolly and yellowish brown above but paler below, with white spots along the spine. The throat, belly, inside of the thighs and beneath the tail is white. In summer, the coat becomes bright rufous-brown. The neck is maned. Females are paler than males. Young are spotted. Average antlers measure round the curve with a girth of at mid beam.Blanford, W. T. (1888–1891)
''The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia''
Taylor and Francis, London.
A record antler measured round the curve. Stags weigh . Females are less heavy, weighing about . Large stags have weighed from .


Distribution and habitat

Swamp deer were once common in many areas, including parts of the Upper Narmada Valley and to the south, in Bastar, prior to the 19th century. They frequent flat or undulating
grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur ...
, floodplains and marshes, and generally stay on the outskirts of forests. At times, they are also found in open forest. In the 1960s, the total population was estimated to be between 1,600-2,150 individuals in India, with about 1,600 in
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. Today, the distribution is further reduced and fragmented, due to major losses in the 1930s–1960s following unregulated hunting and conversion of large tracts of habitat into cropland. In Nepal, they can be primarily found in the western areas of the country, south of the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
, in Shuklaphanta and Bardiya National Parks. Within India, barasingha can be found in six localities in
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. They are found in
Kanha National Park Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha–Kisli National Park, is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest National park of India, national park of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of in the two districts Mandla and Ba ...
, in
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
, and have also been observed across the state border in Chhattisgarh (near to Dhamtari), likely the most southerly extent of their distribution. They are regionally extinct in
West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, and are also likely extirpated from
Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeast India. It was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and India declared it as a state on 20 February 1987. Itanagar is its capital and la ...
,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
,
Meghalaya Meghalaya (; "the abode of clouds") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeast India. Its capital is Shillong. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the Assam: the United Khasi Hills an ...
,
Nagaland Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...
and
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. A few barasingha still survive in Assam's Kaziranga and Manas National Parks. In 2005, a small population of about 320 individuals was discovered in the Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve in Haridwar district,
Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
, on the east bank of the
Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
. This likely represents the most northerly limit of the species.


Distribution of subspecies

Three
subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
are currently recognized: * Western swamp deer ''R. d. duvauceli'' (Cuvier, 1823) – the nominate subspecies, and most abundant, this water-loving deer has splayed hooves and is adapted to the flooded grassland habitat of the
Indo-Gangetic plain The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain, is a fertile plain spanning across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. It encompasses North India, northern and East India, easte ...
;Pocock R. (1943). ''The larger deer of British India''. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 43: 553–572. in the early 1990s, populations in India were estimated at 1,500–2,000 individuals, and 1,500–1,900 individuals in the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve of Nepal; the latter population reached 2,170 individuals, including 385 fawns, in spring 2013. * Southern swamp deer (or hard ground swamp deer) ''R. d. branderi'' ( Pocock 1943) – has hard hooves and is adapted to hard ground in open sal forest with a grass understorey; survives only in
Kanha National Park Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha–Kisli National Park, is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest National park of India, national park of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of in the two districts Mandla and Ba ...
, to the west of Chhattisgarh and east of Madhya Pradesh. The population numbered about 500 individuals in 1988; 300–350 individuals were estimated at the turn of the century; and 750 in 2016. It was reintroduced into Satpura Tiger Reserve. * Eastern swamp deer ''R. d. ranjitsinhi'' (Grooves 1982) – occurs only in Assam, where the population numbered about 700 individuals in 1978; 400–500 individuals were estimated in Kaziranga National Park at the turn of the century. After a census conducted in 2021, 868 individuals were estimated in the park, with a further 121 in Manas National Park.


Ecology and behaviour

Swamp deer are mainly grazers. They largely feed on grasses and aquatic plants, foremost on '' Saccharum'', ''
Imperata cylindrica ''Imperata cylindrica'' (commonly known as cogongrass or kunai grass ) is a species of Perennial plant, perennial rhizomatous grass native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, and Southern Europe. It has al ...
'', ''Narenga porphyrocoma'', '' Phragmites karka'', '' Oryza rufipogon'', '' Hygroryza'' and '' Hydrilla''. They feed throughout the day with peaks during the mornings and late afternoons to evenings. In winter and monsoon, they drink water twice, and thrice or more in summer. In the hot season, they rest in the shade of trees during the day. In central India, the herds comprise on average about 8–20 individuals, with large herds of up to 60. There are twice as many females than males. During the rut they form large herds of adults. The breeding season lasts from September to April, and births occur after a
gestation Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...
of 240–250 days in August to November. The peak is in September and October in
Kanha National Park Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha–Kisli National Park, is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest National park of India, national park of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It covers an area of in the two districts Mandla and Ba ...
. They give birth to single calves. When alarmed, they give out shrill, baying alarm calls. Compared to other deer species, barasingha are more relaxed when it comes to guarding. They have fewer sentries and they spend most of their time grazing, unlike deer species like spotted deer or sambar deer.


Threats

The swamp deer populations outside protected areas and seasonally migrating populations are threatened by
poaching Poaching is the illegal hunting or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights. Poaching was once performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes and to supplement meager diets. It was set against the huntin ...
for antlers and meat, which are sold in local markets. Swamp deer lost most of its former range because wetlands were converted and used for agriculture so that suitable habitat was reduced to small and isolated fragments. The remaining habitat in protected areas is threatened by the change in river dynamics, reduced water flow during summer, increasing
siltation Siltation is water pollution caused by particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation (temporary o ...
, and is further degraded by local people who cut grass, timber and fuelwood, and by illegal farming on government land. George Schaller wrote: "Most of these remnants have or soon will have reached the point of no return."


Conservation

''Rucervus duvaucelii'' is listed on CITES Appendix I. In India, it is included under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. An attempt to translocate some individuals to Chitwan National Park in Nepal was unsuccessful.


In captivity

In 1992, there were about 50 individuals in five Indian zoos and 300 in various zoos in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. There is a herd of barasingha at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. Swamp deer were introduced to
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. They exist only in small numbers on ranches.


In culture

* The barasingha is the state animal of the Indian states of
Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
and
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. * A ''barasingh'' (as Kipling writes the name) is mentioned ten times in ''The Miracle of Purun Bhagat'', the second story in '' The Second Jungle Book''. As that part of the story is set in the Himalayas, it is probably meant to be a member of the relict ''Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii'' population living on both sides of the India – Nepal border. Kipling, Rudyard, ''The Miracle of Purun Bhagat'', in '' The Second Jungle Book'' ( read online) (accessed 3 May 2024)


See also

* Chital * Sambar deer


References


Further reading

* M. Acharya, M. Barad, S. Bhalani, P. Bilgi, M. Panchal, V. Shrimali, W. Solanki, D.M. Thumber. ''Kanha Chronicle''. Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad in collaboration with the United States National Park Service.


External links


Animal Info: ''Barasingha''

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums: ''Barasingha – Cervus duvaucelii''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q506308 Cervines Fauna of South Asia Mammals of Nepal Mammals of India Mammals described in 1823 Taxa named by Georges Cuvier Symbols of Madhya Pradesh Symbols of Uttar Pradesh Fauna of Uttar Pradesh