New Zealand Journal of Zoology abstracts
The diet and trace element status of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor)
in Manawatu district, New Zealand
KEVIN J. STAFFORD
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract In Manawatu, sambar deer cause damage to pine
forests by stripping bark off trees. In August-September of 1994 and 1995
samples of rumen contents and liver were collected from sambar to determine the
incidence of pine in the diet and the trace element (copper, selenium, cobalt)
status of these animals. Unidentified grasses were the predominant plants in 34
of the 40 rumen content samples. In the remaining samples, flax (
Phormium
tenax) predominated in three and pine (
Pinus spp.) in three. Pine
needles and/or stems were found in 25 samples, and constituted more than 10% of
the dry weight of 11 samples, but pine bark was found in only three samples.
The levels of selenium (>850 nmol/kg) and vitamin B12
(>220 nmol/kg) in the 22 liver samples would be considered adequate for
sheep, red deer, and cattle and probably also for sambar. The liver copper
levels were inadequate (<100 umol/kg) in three of four samples taken
from deer shot in Moutoa whose diet consisted of grass and flax. The varied
diet of sambar allows them to obtain sufficient selenium and copper in an area
where the soils are deficient in these elements from the standpoint of
livestock production.
Keywords sambar deer; Cervus unicolor; diet; pine;
flax; copper; selenium
Received 5 February 1997; accepted 27 June 1997
New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1997, Vol. 24: 267-271
0301-4223/2404-0267 $7.00/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (342K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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