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Sambar

Rusa unicolor · Introduced/exotic big game · Big game

Sambar (Rusa unicolor): Large; males 185-260 kg, females about 162 kg. Coarse dark coat with lighter brown to creamy underparts. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the sambar map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Sambar deer in open woodland
Photo by Hans Veth on Unsplash
Scientific name
Rusa unicolor
Family
Cervidae
In North America
Introduced
Range
Native from India to southeastern China and the Malay Peninsula. Introduced and established in California, Texas and Florida (and Australia and New Zealand). Not native to Canada.
Biology

How to identify it

Large; males 185-260 kg, females about 162 kg. [1][2]

Coarse dark coat with lighter brown to creamy underparts. [1][2]

Males have a dense neck mane and antlers with three or four tines up to 100 cm. [1][2]

Bushy tail white on the underside, raised as a signal. [1][2]

Field knowledge

Where it lives

Forested hillsides, swamp forest and open scrub, from sea level to about 3,700 m. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Mostly nocturnal; rests in dense cover by day [1][2]

Solitary or in groups up to about 8 females [1][2]

Browses at dusk and night on leaves, bark, berries and grass [1][2]

Proficient swimmers [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Native from India to southeastern China and the Malay Peninsula. Introduced and established in California, Texas and Florida (and Australia and New Zealand). Not native to Canada.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology