Rusa unicolor | Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals

Taxa
Rusa unicolor | (Kerr, 1792)
Publication
Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals
NRL Record ID
327591
Location
Countries in Assessment
Bangladesh
Country ISO code(s)
BGD
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Off
Scope (Assessment)
National
Taxon
RRL Synonyms
Cervus unicolor Kerr, 1792; Rusa unicolor Grubb, 1990
Taxonomic Group
Vertebrates
Taxonomic Group Level 2
Mammals
Assessed taxon level
Species
Taxonomic Notes
Most 19th and 20th century sources placed the Sambar in the genus Cervus, as C. unicolor, but Grubb (1990) resurrected the genus Rusa for this and allied species. This was followed by Groves (2003) and Grubb (2005). Later Groves and Grubb (2011) divided S
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
It occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan), India, Indonesia (Sumatra), Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Viet Nam (Timmins et al. 2015). It has only been recorded from the mixed evergreen forests of the northeast and southeast.
Habitats and Ecology
Ecological system type
Terrestrial system
No
Freshwater system
No
Marine system
No
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Sambar lives in dense undergrowth and tall grassbeds in the mixed evergreen forests as well as denuded forests locally called unclassed state forests in the Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts (Khan 1985). Sambar lives singly, in pair of in small family groups. It is mostly active at night but could forage at daytime where large carnivores like the tiger and leopard are absent. It is basically a grazer and to some extent a browser and always need to drink water (Khan 1985).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes, in the publication/on website
Assessed status
Asessment status in full
Critically Endangered
Assessment status abreviation
CR
Assessment rationale/justification
This species is very rare but found only in the degrading mixed evergreen forests. Though the Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy of this species are much larger than the threshold level, the habitat quality and quantity have decreased at least more than 80%. Moreover, the total mature individuals in the wild will not exceed 250. Therefore, the species qualifies as Critically Endangered.
About the assessment
Assessment year
2015
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Md. Farid Ahsan
Affliation of assessor(s)/contributors/reviewers listed on assessment
NGO
Academic
Assessor affiliation specific
Academic|NGO
Criteria system
Criteria system specifics
IUCN v3.1 + Regional Guidelines v4.0
Criteria system used
IUCN
Criteria Citation
IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp; IUCN (2012) Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
http://iucnredlistbd.org/
Endemism
Endemic to region
No
Endemism Notes
Is an endemic?: No
Conservation
Conservation Measures

Conservation measures:
Conservation measures notes:
Required conservation measures:

Further information
History
Critically Endangered in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh 2000).
Scientific Name Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus
Rusa unicolor Animalia Chordata Mammalia Cetartiodactyla Cervidae Rusa