Rusa Deer
Encyclopedia
The Javan Rusa or Sunda Sambar (Rusa timorensis) is a deer
native to the islands of Java, Bali
and Timor
(shared with East Timor
) in Indonesia
. It is also an introduced species
in Irian Jaya, Borneo (Kalimantan), the Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi
, Australia
, Mauritius
, New Caledonia
, New Zealand
, Papua New Guinea
, and Réunion
.
of India: open dry and mixed deciduous forests, parklands, and savannas. It is a close relative of the larger Sambar deer. It is moderately hunted in eastern Australasia.
Rusa Deer have established populations in remote island
s, probably brought there by Indonesian fishermen. They adapt well, living as comfortably in the dry Australian bush as they do in their tropical homelands. This trait is shown well in the more frequent encounters on the fringes of Wollongong and Sydney
, and in particular in the Royal National Park
, indicating steadily growing numbers and strong herds.
When spooked, a Rusa stag lets out an extremely loud honk. This is an alarm call and will alert any other deer in the vicinity.
Rusa Deer are very sociable and seldom found alone; even if one seems to be alone it probably is not. These animals are so well camouflaged they may sometimes let a person walk right past them.
.
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
native to the islands of Java, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
and Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
(shared with East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
) in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is also an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in Irian Jaya, Borneo (Kalimantan), the Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku, Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
.
Habitat
It occupies a habitat similar to that of the ChitalChital
The chital or cheetal , also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is a deer which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and in small numbers in Pakistan...
of India: open dry and mixed deciduous forests, parklands, and savannas. It is a close relative of the larger Sambar deer. It is moderately hunted in eastern Australasia.
Rusa Deer have established populations in remote island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s, probably brought there by Indonesian fishermen. They adapt well, living as comfortably in the dry Australian bush as they do in their tropical homelands. This trait is shown well in the more frequent encounters on the fringes of Wollongong and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, and in particular in the Royal National Park
Royal National Park
Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
, indicating steadily growing numbers and strong herds.
Description
Rusa Deer are recognised by their large ears, the light tufts of hair above the eyebrows, the antlers appearing too large for their body size.Behaviour
Rusa Deer are active mostly in the early morning and late afternoon. They are rarely seen in the open and are very difficult to approach due to their keen senses and cautious instincts.When spooked, a Rusa stag lets out an extremely loud honk. This is an alarm call and will alert any other deer in the vicinity.
Rusa Deer are very sociable and seldom found alone; even if one seems to be alone it probably is not. These animals are so well camouflaged they may sometimes let a person walk right past them.
Reproduction
Javan Rusa breed around July and August in a period known as the rut. At this time stags battle for dominance and breeding rights, contesting them by calling in a loud shrill bark and physical contact with the antlers. Calves are born at the start of spring. Maturity is attained in three to five years, depending on conditions and habitatHabitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
.
Subspecies
Seven subspecies of Rusa timorensis are recognised:- R. t. timorensis
- R. t. djonga – MunaMunaMuna may refer to:*Muna, Yucatán, town in Yucatán, Mexico*Muna, Nepal, village development committee, Myagdi District, Nepal*Muna, Estonia, village in Rõuge Parish, Võru County, Estonia*Muna River, river in Murmansk Oblast, Russia...
and ButungButungButung is an inactive volcano, elevation 684 metres ASL, located at 7.75 N, 125.083 E, in Maramag Municipality, Bukidnon Province, island of Mindanao, in the Philippines....
Islands; - R. t. floresiensis (Flores Rusa Deer) – LombokLombokLombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east...
and other islands; - R. t. macassaricus (Celebes Rusa Deer) – CelebesSulawesiSulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
; - R. t. moluccensis (Moluccan Rusa Deer) – Molucca Islands;
- R. t. renschi (Moluccan Rusa Deer) – Molucca Islands;
- R. t. russa (Javan Rusa Deer) – JavaJavaJava is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
.