Bos Javanicus (Banteng)
Bos Javanicus (Banteng)Scientific classification editKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: ArtiodactylaFamily: BovidaeSubfamily: BovinaeGenus: BosSpecies: B. javanicus
The banteng (/ˈbæntɛŋ/; Javanese: banthèng), also known as tembadau, (Bos javanicus) is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat.[3] Banteng have also been introduced to Northern Australia, where they have established stable feral populations.
Distribution and subspeciesThese subspecies are recognised:Javan banteng (B. j. javanicus): Found on Java and Bali in Indonesia, the males are black and females are buff.Bornean banteng (B. j. lowi): From Borneo, they are smaller than Java banteng and the horns are steeper; bulls are chocolate-brown.Burma banteng (B. j. birmanicus): In Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,and may be in India, but extinct in Bangladesh these males and females are usually buff, but in Cambodia, 20% of the bulls are blackish, and on the Malayan Peninsula in Thailand, most of the bulls are black. This subspecies is recognised by the IUCN,but not by Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition.
CharacteristicsThe banteng is similar in size to domesticated cattle, measuring 1.55 to 1.65 m (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 5 in) tall at the shoulder and 2.45–3.5 m (8 ft 0 in–11 ft 6 in) in total length, including a tail 60 cm (2.0 ft) long. Body weight can range from 400 to 900 kg (880 to 1,980 lb).[5][6] It exhibits sexual dimorphism, allowing the sexes to be readily distinguished by colour and size. In mature males, the short-haired coat is blue-black or dark chestnut in colour, while in females and young it is chestnut with a dark dorsal stripe. Both males and females have white stockings on their lower legs, a white rump, a white muzzle, and white spots above the eyes. The build is similar to that of domesticated cattle, but with a comparatively slender neck and small head, and a ridge on the back above the shoulders. The horns of females are short and tightly curved, pointing inward at the tips, while those of males arc upwards, growing 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30 in) long, and being connected by a horn-like bald patch on the forehead.
BehaviourBanteng live in sparse forest where they feed on grasses, bamboo, fruit, leaves, and young branches. The banteng is generally active both night and day, but in places where humans are common, they adopt a nocturnal schedule. Banteng tend to gather in herds of two to 30 members. Each herd contains only one adult bull.Mating occurs from May to June, birth from March to April. Cows give birth to one calf after a gestation period of 9.5 month; the calf is weaned at 6 to 9 months. Lifespan is 20 to 26 years in captivity and 16 to 20 years in the wild.
StatusThe wild banteng is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The populations on the Asian mainland have decreased by about 80% in the last decades. The total number of wild banteng is estimated to about 5,000-8,000 animals. No population has more than 500 animals, only a few have more than 50. Reasons for the population decline are reduction of habitat, hunting, hybridisation with domesticated cattle, and infections with cattle diseases. The most important stronghold for the species is Java with the biggest populations in Ujung Kulon National Park and Baluran National Park. The biggest population on the mainland is found in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. Another larger population lives in Kaeng Krachan. Borneo has still a few hundred bantengs, more than a hundred of which occur in Kulamba Wildlife Reserve in Sabah
The banteng (/ˈbæntɛŋ/; Javanese: banthèng), also known as tembadau, (Bos javanicus) is a species of wild cattle found in Southeast Asia.Banteng have been domesticated in several places in Southeast Asia, and there are around 1.5 million domestic banteng, which are called Bali cattle. These animals are used as working animals and for their meat.[3] Banteng have also been introduced to Northern Australia, where they have established stable feral populations.
Distribution and subspeciesThese subspecies are recognised:Javan banteng (B. j. javanicus): Found on Java and Bali in Indonesia, the males are black and females are buff.Bornean banteng (B. j. lowi): From Borneo, they are smaller than Java banteng and the horns are steeper; bulls are chocolate-brown.Burma banteng (B. j. birmanicus): In Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam,and may be in India, but extinct in Bangladesh these males and females are usually buff, but in Cambodia, 20% of the bulls are blackish, and on the Malayan Peninsula in Thailand, most of the bulls are black. This subspecies is recognised by the IUCN,but not by Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition.
CharacteristicsThe banteng is similar in size to domesticated cattle, measuring 1.55 to 1.65 m (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 5 in) tall at the shoulder and 2.45–3.5 m (8 ft 0 in–11 ft 6 in) in total length, including a tail 60 cm (2.0 ft) long. Body weight can range from 400 to 900 kg (880 to 1,980 lb).[5][6] It exhibits sexual dimorphism, allowing the sexes to be readily distinguished by colour and size. In mature males, the short-haired coat is blue-black or dark chestnut in colour, while in females and young it is chestnut with a dark dorsal stripe. Both males and females have white stockings on their lower legs, a white rump, a white muzzle, and white spots above the eyes. The build is similar to that of domesticated cattle, but with a comparatively slender neck and small head, and a ridge on the back above the shoulders. The horns of females are short and tightly curved, pointing inward at the tips, while those of males arc upwards, growing 60 to 75 cm (24 to 30 in) long, and being connected by a horn-like bald patch on the forehead.
BehaviourBanteng live in sparse forest where they feed on grasses, bamboo, fruit, leaves, and young branches. The banteng is generally active both night and day, but in places where humans are common, they adopt a nocturnal schedule. Banteng tend to gather in herds of two to 30 members. Each herd contains only one adult bull.Mating occurs from May to June, birth from March to April. Cows give birth to one calf after a gestation period of 9.5 month; the calf is weaned at 6 to 9 months. Lifespan is 20 to 26 years in captivity and 16 to 20 years in the wild.
StatusThe wild banteng is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. The populations on the Asian mainland have decreased by about 80% in the last decades. The total number of wild banteng is estimated to about 5,000-8,000 animals. No population has more than 500 animals, only a few have more than 50. Reasons for the population decline are reduction of habitat, hunting, hybridisation with domesticated cattle, and infections with cattle diseases. The most important stronghold for the species is Java with the biggest populations in Ujung Kulon National Park and Baluran National Park. The biggest population on the mainland is found in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand. Another larger population lives in Kaeng Krachan. Borneo has still a few hundred bantengs, more than a hundred of which occur in Kulamba Wildlife Reserve in Sabah