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Gaur

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Mammals

                         iGaur
   A bull Gaur at Bandipur National Park, South India
   A bull Gaur at Bandipur National Park, South India
               Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Mammalia
   Order:   Artiodactyla
   Family:  Bovidae
   Genus:   Bos
   Species: B. gaurus

                                Binomial name

   Bos gaurus
   H. Smith, 1827

   The 'Gaur' (pronounced "GOWr")-( Malayalam kattupothu; Bos gaurus,
   previously Bibos gauris) is a large, dark-coated ox of the hilly areas
   of South Asia and Southeast Asia, which may be found wild or
   domesticated. The species is found primarily in India. It is also
   called the seladang or Indian bison, which is technically incorrect.
   The gaur has been recognized by wild life experts as the largest of all
   wild cattles, bigger even than Asian wild Water Buffalo and American
   Bison. A typical black bull gaur averages 1 ton in weight.

Subspecies

     * Bos gaurus laosiensis (Myanmar to China)
     * Bos gaurus gaurus (India, Nepal) also called "Indian bison"
     * Bos gaurus readei
     * Bos gaurus hubbacki (Thailand, Malaysia)
     * Bos gaurus frontalis, domestic gaur, probably a gaur-cattle hybrid
       breed

   The wild group and the domesticated group are sometimes considered
   separate species, with the wild gaur called Bibos gauris or Bos gaurus,
   and the domesticated gayal or mithun (mithan) called Bos frontalis
   Lambert, 1804.

   When wild Bos gaurus and the domestic Bos frontalis are considered to
   belong to the same species the older name Bos frontalis is used,
   according to the rules of the International Commission on Zoological
   Nomenclature (ICZN). However, in 2003, the ICZN "conserved the usage of
   17 specific names based on wild species, which are pre-dated by or
   contemporary with those based on domestic forms", confirming Bos gaurus
   for the Gaur.

   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
   said to produce fertile hybrids.

General characteristics

   Gaur are said to look like the front of a water buffalo with the back
   of a domestic cow. They are the largest and most powerful of all wild
   cattles. Males have a highly muscular body, with a distinctive dorsal
   ridge and a large dewlap, forming a very powerful appearance. Females
   are substantially smaller, and their dorsal ridge and dewlaps are less
   developed.
     * Body Length: 250-330 cm / 8.3-11 ft.
     * Shoulder Height: 170-220 cm / 5.6-7.2 ft. On average, males stand
       about 1.8 - 1.9 m at the shoulder, females 10 - 13 cm less.
     * Tail Length: 70-100 cm / 28-40 in.
     * Weight: Males often 1000 - 1500 kg / 2200 - 3300 lb, females 700 -
       1000 kg / 1540 - 2200 lb.

   Gaurs are huge animals. They are as heavy as African black rhinos and
   are the only wild bovids to exceed a shoulder height of 2.1 m (7 feet).
   Size varies by region. In India, the largest breed of gaur is found in
   the southern forests, while those in the north are smaller.

   The dark brown coat is short and dense, while the lower legs are white
   to tan in colour. There is a dewlap under the chin which extends
   between the front legs. There is a shoulder hump, especially pronounced
   in adult males. The horns are found in both sexes, and grow from the
   sides of the head, curving upwards. Yellow at the base and turning
   black at the tips, they grow to a length of 80 cm / 32 inches. A
   bulging grey-tan ridge connects the horns on the forehead.

Ontogeny and reproduction

     * Gestation period: 275 days.
     * Young per birth: 1, rarely 2
     * Weaning: 7-12 months.
     * Sexual maturity: In the 2nd and 3rd year.
     * Life span: About 30 years.
     * Breeding takes place throughout the year, though there is a peak
       between December and June.

Ecology and behaviour

   In the wild, gaurs live in small herds of up to 40 individuals and
   graze on grasses, shoots and fruits. They fall prey only to tigers.
   Tigers are one of the only predators, other than humans, who can kill a
   full grown adult.

   Where gaurs have not been disturbed, they are basically diurnal, being
   most active in the morning and late afternoon and resting during the
   hottest time of the day. But where populations have been molested by
   human populations, gaurs have become largely nocturnal, rarely seen in
   the open after 8:00 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 gaurs depend on water for drinking,
   they do not seem to bathe or wallow.

   A family group consists of small mixed herds of 2-40 individuals. Gaur
   herds are led by a single adult male. 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 kilometers. Gaurs have also been known to make
   a whistling snort as an alarm call, and a low, cow-like moo.

   The average population density is about 0.6 animals per square
   kilometer, with herds having home ranges of around 80 square
   kilometers.

   The gaur belongs to the wild oxen family, which includes wild water
   buffaloes. Unlike its aggressive cousin, the gaur is very timid and
   shy, and often shuns humans and others. When alarmed, gaurs crash into
   the jungle at a surprising speed. But a gaur does not bluff when it
   charges. When wounded or angry, because of their huge size and power
   gaurs become quite dangerous and yield to nothing. Even a tiger would
   avoid taking on such an animal. A fight has been reported between a
   male Indian rhino and a bull gaur, reflecting the strength and courage
   of the gaur.

Distribution

   Tropical Asian woodlands in the following countries: Bangladesh,
   Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia),
   Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Viet Nam (IUCN, 2002).

Cloning

   At 7:30 PM on Monday, 8 January 2001, the first successful birth of a
   cloned animal that is a member of an endangered species occurred, a
   gaur named Noah. He was carried and brought successfully by a surrogate
   mother from another, more common, species, in this case a domestic cow
   named Bessie. The biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technology was
   the first to succeed. While healthy at birth, Noah died within 48 hours
   of a common dysentery likely unrelated to cloning.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaur"
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