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Life‐history traits of gaur Bos gaurus: a first analysis |
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| Authors: | Farshid S AHRESTANI Subramaniam IYER Ignas M A HEITKÖNIG Herbert H T PRINS |
| Institution: | 1. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands;2. Frontier Wildlife Conservation, Sahyadri Park, Pune 411048, India. E‐mail: farshid.ahrestani@gmail.com;3. 3 Rue Giovanni‐Gambini, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland. E‐mail: sniyer_geneva@yahoo.co.uk;4. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands. E‐mail: ignas.heitkonig@wur.nl;5. Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands. E‐mail: herbert.prins@wur.nl |
| Abstract: | In this first detailed analysis of gaur Bos gaurus life‐history traits, data were collected from a 20‐month field study in South India and from captive gaur populations. Mean age of females at first parturition was 3 years; females remained fertile beyond the age of 15 years. Adult females were three times more abundant than adult males in the wild; survival of females was greater than males beyond three years of age. Life span of both sexes has not exceeded 24 years in captivity. Gaur life‐history traits are similar to those of other similar‐sized Bovini species. |
| Keywords: | Bovidae demography India mortality reproduction |