Vertebrate fauna of SE Asia
  

 

   
Home  
——————————  
SE Asia fauna ...  
   
Primates
 Carnivorans
 Large Mammals
 Small Mammals
 Mammal calls
 Bats
—————
Birds
—————
 Snakes
 Lizards & Crocodilians
 Turtles
—————
 Amphibians
 Tadpoles
 Frog calls
—————
Freshwater Fishes
 Marine & Brackish Fishes
—————
Species Lists
 





 


 
——————————  
SE Asia Vert Records (SEAVR) ...  
   
Philippines Records
  Indochina Records
  Indonesia & PNG Records
 
——————————  
New Guinea herptiles ...  
Snakes   Lizards   Frogs  
——————————  
   
  New or updated pages ...
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
——————————  
 

Search this site ...

 
 


   

 
  ——————————  
 

Links :
My wife, Sophia's website ... super-healthy, vegan delights :
Vegan-Inspired.com

 
  ——————————  
 


Email :


Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless otherwise credited.
Copyright © Ecology Asia 2023

 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   
   
 
Gaur
 
   
   

Order : CETARTIODACTYLA
Family : Bovidae
Species : Bos gaurus (formerly Bos frontalis)


Shoulder Height : up to 1.9 metres
Tail : up to 1 metre
Weight : males up to 1000 kg

This is one of the largest species of wild bovine in the world. In Malaysia the species is generally called Seladang.

Gaur inhabit hilly or montane forested regions, though this may be a result of hunting pressure and habitat loss in lowland areas. They are typically sighted on hill slopes at the forest edge, and are known to frequent salt licks.

They may be either nocturnal or diurnal depending on local ecological circumstances or degree of disturbance.

Gaur feed on a wide variety of grasses, shrubs and bamboos. They are typically diurnal, but will become nocturnal if persecuted by hunters. Herd size may be up to 50 individuals, but typically is much smaller.

Both males and females are dark brown throughout, except for the knee and lower part of the leg which is creamy white. Their horns, which in large bulls may grow to a metre in length, are thick, and curve backwards. In males there is a thick ridge between the horns which is absent in females. Males also possess a prominent muscular ridge along the back, and sometimes a loose flap of skin (dewlap) at the throat.

Males weigh up to 1000 kg, and in rare cases may be even heavier. Females reach around 750 kg.

In Southeast Asia fragmented populations of Gaur occur in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. The species also occurs in most countries of South Asia including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and parts of southern China.


Fig 1 : Male and female pair in Kerala, India. Photo thanks to Dave Haylock


References : M5

 

Fig 1
 
©  Dave Haylock