By Amber Ferraino
Geographic Range
Barasingha, or swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii), were once distributed throughout the Indian peninsula, but today are only found in areas of central and northern India and southern Nepal. There are two recognized subspecies: R. d. branderi, found in Madhya Pradesh, and R. d. duvaucelii, found in Uttar Pradesh and southern Nepal. (Massicot, 2005; Nowak, 1999; Schaller, 1967)
Habitat
The name “swamp deer” refers to the habitat preferred by the species. Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii is found in swampland and a variety of forest types ranging from dry to moist deciduous to evergreen. Rucervus duvaucelii branderi is found in grassy floodplains. In either forested or open habitats, both subspecies are commonly found near bodies of water. (Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical 
; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland ; forest .
Other:
riparian .
Physical Description
(378.4 to 398.2 lbs; avg. 388.3 lbs)
(46.85 to 48.82 in)
Adult Rucervus duvaucelii stand between 119 to 124 centimeters at the shoulder, and weigh approximately 172 to 181 kilograms. Their coats are chestnut brown on the back, fading to a lighter brown on the sides and belly, with a creamy white on the inside of the legs, rump, and underside of the tail. Their chins, throats, and the insides of their ears are also whitish in color. In winter months, beginning around November, the coat turns a dark, dull grayish brown. Adult males will have darker coats than females and juveniles, ranging from dark brown to almost black. The coats of fawns are brown and spotted when born, but the spots will fade as the fawn matures. (Nowak, 1999; Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
The name “barasingha” literally means “twelve-tined”. A fully adult male can have 10 to 15 tines, though some males have been found to have up to 20. Antlers of barasingha are smooth, the main beam sweeping upward for over half the length before branching repeatedly. (Nowak, 1999)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: male larger, sexes colored or patterned differently, ornamentation .
Reproduction
Barasinghas breed once a year.
Breeding occurs from October through February.
Barasingha are polygynous, a dominant stag collecting a harem of up to thirty hinds (females). He will fight with other males for possession of the harem and the right to breed. At the beginning of the rut in mid-October, herds start to break apart and males create wallows. Male barasingha wallow by urinating and defecating in muddy pools and then roll, coating themselves in scent. Males also begin to bugle and bark; these sounds are sometimes compared to the braying of mules. Their calls will continue throughout the rut and well into February. Fights between competing males occur as they form harems. Males will scrape the ground with their hooves and then run at each other, clashing antlers. The tines will often be snapped off during these fights, leaving the antlers broken or disfigured. At the end of the rut, stags will leave their females and band together with other stags, while hinds form herds with similarly-aged females. (Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
Mating systems:
polygynous .
Breeding, or rutting, season begins in October and continues through February. The gestation period lasts 240 to 250 days, with most fawns born between September and October. A female barasingha reaches sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Barasinghas have one fawn per year, rarely twins. (Schaller, 1967; Walker, 2005; Whitehead, 1972)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous .
A female barasingha will wean her young between 6 to 8 months of age. Males are not involved in providing for or protecting the young. (Huffman, 2006)
Parental investment:
precocial ; pre-fertilization (provisioning, protecting: female); pre-hatching/birth (provisioning: female, protecting: female); pre-weaning/fledging (provisioning: female, protecting: female).
Lifespan/Longevity
The oldest captive Rucervus duvaucelii reached 23 years of age; in the wild, individuals typically reach 20 years old. (Huffman, 2006; Massicot, 2005)
Behavior
Barasinghas are active throughout the day, but do the majority of their grazing in the morning and evening, resting through the hotter afternoon. They are social animals, normally found in herds of similar gender and age, each herd averaging between 10 and 20 members. Mixed age and gender herds can occur; when they do, one hind characteristically leads. Other females form a single file line behind her, followed by stags in the rear. Leadership appears to have no relation to dominance. In herds of either type, males demonstrate less loyalty than females, often leaving one herd to join or form another. (Huffman, 2006; Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
Home Range
A typical barasingha home range is about 4 square miles, though stags are more likely to roam. (Schaller, 1967)
Key behaviors:
terricolous; diurnal ; crepuscular ; motile ; nomadic ; social ; dominance hierarchies .
Communication and Perception
Barasingha males use wallows to spread their scent during the rut in an attempt to attract available females and announce their presence to other males. Bugles and barks are also employed for these purposes. Alarm calls are used when predators are nearby. (Schaller, 1967)
Food Habits
Barasinghas primarily eat grasses. During the hot season, they will drink at least twice a day, the first time soon after daylight and again in the late afternoon. (Schaller, 1967; Walker, 2005; Whitehead, 1972)
Plant Foods:
leaves; flowers.
Predation
- tigers (Panthera tigris)
- leopards (Panthera pardus)
- humans (Homo sapiens)
Barasinghas react to the alarm calls of their own kind as well as those of other animals by holding their necks erect and cocking their ears, facing themselves towards the threat. This alerts others in the herd, who adopt the same posture as well as raise their tails and stomp their hooves. Barks and screams are sent back and forth throughout the herd, rising in pitch if a predator is sighted. The alarm reaction persists until the barasinghas are certain danger is no longer near. The primary natural predators of barasinghas are tigers and leopards. (Huffman, 2006; Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
Ecosystem Roles
Barasinghas are an important prey animal for tigers and leopards. They graze heavily on grasses and impact plant communities. (Schaller, 1967; Whitehead, 1972)
Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
disperses seeds.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Barasinghas are shot and killed because they are thought to feed on crops, although there is no evidence to support this assumption. (Massicot, 2005)
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Barasinghas that leave protected lands are hunted for food by humans. (Schaller, 1967)
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
food .
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Vulnerable.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
Appendix I.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
Barasinghas are listed as an endangered species by the IUCN. The subspecies R. d. duvaucelii is considered a vulnerable species, while R. d. branderi is endangered. Degradation of habitat, along with predation and hunting has brought barasinghas to low population levels. (Huffman, 2006; Massicot, 2005)
Other Comments
Texts disagree on the number of subspecies of the barasingha. Some sources name a third subspecies, R. d. ranjitsinhi, found in Assam, India, though this taxonomy is not universally accepted.
Barasinghas were previously known by the scientific name Cervus duvaucelii, this was recently changed to Rucervus duvaucelii. (Nowak, 1999)
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Amber Ferraino (author), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Chris Yahnke (editor, instructor), University of Wisconsin Stevens Point.
