Three Types Of Deer In Malaysia

            There are three types of deer in Malaysia such as Rusa or Cervus Timorensis , Sambar or Cervus Unicolor and Sika or Cervus Nippon.

1.      Rusa (Cervus Timorensis) or Javan Rusa

        Male Javan rusa are larger than females. Males usually weigh 152 kg, while females weigh about 74 kg. The males have a lyre-shaped, three-tined antlers, which weigh about 2.5 kg. Males and females have a rough grayish brown coat that is often coarse in appearance. Their ears are rounded and broad. The animals look short and stubby because they have relatively short legs. 

        Javan rusa are principly found in deciduous forests, plantations and grasslands in the islands of Southeast Asia. They prefer the edges of the forest.

2.      Sambar (Cervus Unicolor)

        This deer is found in almost all parts of Asia. These deer have three-tined antlers, which are used to carve knives and handles. Living in tropical seasonal forests, these creatures are easy preys for tigers, leopards, and crocodiles. They stomp their hooves as a warning signal.

        Sambars have a coarse coat of short, dark hair with lighter brown to creamy white hair on their undersides. The backsides and undersides of their bushy tails are white, and when raised, the tails are used as signals. Males are generally larger than females and posess a dense mane on their necks. Male Sambars have antlers with three or four tines, and these antlers are periodically shed and replaced. Antlers can reach lengths of up to 100 cm. The maximum size for males is 185-260 kg, and about 162 kg for females.

        Sambars inhabit both gently sloping and steep forested hillsides. They reside preferably near cultivated areas, such as gardens and plantations, in order to acquire food, but are also found in thick forests, swamp forests, and open scrub. Some of these deer may move between higher altitudes in the summer to lower, more sheltered areas during the winter months.

3.      Sika (Cervus Nippon)

        Its name comes from the word "shika" which means deer in Japanese language. It is also called the Spotted Deer. It is found all over Eastern Asia. During the mating season, males utter loud shrill whistles that can be heard over a mile away. These deer were prized for their velvet antlers in China and Taiwan.

        Cervus nippon is a small to medium-sized deer with a head and body length of approximately 950-1,800 mm, a tail length of about 75-130 mm, and a height (measured at the shoulder) of 640-1090 mm. On average, males grow until they are 7-10 years old, while females stop growing at age 4-6 years. This results in the sexual dimorphism of males averaging 8.7% larger than females. The pelage of C. nippon ranges from chestnut-brown to reddish-olive and exhibits a great deal of variation resulting in colors such as yellow-brown, gray-brown, tan, black, or gray depending on the subspecies. In addition, the coats of these animals are mottled with white spots arranged in seven or eight rows on the upper sides of the back. Moreover, the mid-dorsal area of C. nippon is darker than the rest of its coat, and this forms a line from head to rear, terminating at a large, white, erectile rump patch often used as a distinguishing characteristic of these animals. The metatarsals of these deer are surrounded by tufts of grayish-tan hairs, and the hooves of adult males average 60 mm in length and 40 mm in width (those of females are slightly smaller). The winter coat of sika deer is very dense with 50-70 mm long hairs, while its summer pelage is composed of much finer, straighter, and shorter (30 mm) hairs. The chin, throat, and belly of sika deer have an off-white or gray hue. Finally, both sexes have a shaggy neck mane that darkens in the winter.