Wildlifeof Thailand
Gaur
Wild Cattle & Serow
Photo: otomops · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Bos gaurus
Basic stats
Diet
Grasses, bamboo, shrubs and leaves
Habitat
Evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest, often in hilly terrain with water nearby
Range
Mainland South and Southeast Asia, now highly fragmented
Litter size
1 calf, rarely 2
Gestation period
About 275 days
Size
Head and body 250–330cm; shoulder height 142–220cm
Weight
Males about 1,500kg; females about 700kg (small Indian sample)
The gaur is the largest living wild bovid. Adult bulls are dark brown, approaching black in old animals, with an ashy grey crown, pale muzzle and white or tan lower legs; cows and young bulls are paler. It has a high ridge on the back, a heavy dewlap and upward-curving horns on both sexes (Wikipedia, general species account).
Herds are led by an old female. Where undisturbed they are mainly active by day, but in disturbed areas they have become largely nocturnal. They graze and browse the upper parts of plants and rely on water for drinking. A single calf is born after about 275 days. Tigers, leopards and dhole can take calves or weak animals, and herds may circle to shield the young. Its range today is seriously fragmented (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Gaur eat?
- Grasses, bamboo, shrubs and leaves
- What habitat does the Gaur live in?
- Evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest, often in hilly terrain with water nearby
- Where is the Gaur found?
- Mainland South and Southeast Asia, now highly fragmented
- What is the litter size of the Gaur?
- 1 calf, rarely 2
- How long is the gestation period of the Gaur?
- About 275 days
- How big is the Gaur?
- Head and body 250–330cm; shoulder height 142–220cm
- How much does the Gaur weigh?
- Males about 1,500kg; females about 700kg (small Indian sample)