Moluccan Rusa Deer | Online Record Book Preview

Cervus timorensis moluccensis

DESCRIPTION (male) Shoulder height 38-40 inches (97-102 cm). Weight 140-200 pounds (64-91 kg). Females are considerably smaller.

Smaller than the Javan rusa, with a low, stout build and a relatively large, thick head. There is no tail tuft, and males lack a neck mane. The antlers are shorter, usually measuring less than 30 inches (76 cm), but often carry longer tines.

DISTRIBUTION Island of New Guinea (Irian Jaya, Indonesia): Wild Moluccan rusa occur mainly on the Vogelkop and Onin peninsulas in the far west, and near Merauke on the southern coast. Island of New Guinea (Papua New Guinea): Moluccan rusa from Merauke in Irian Jaya have spread eastward across the border to the Fly River, forming one of the largest rusa herds in the world. The main population is on the Bulla Plains near the Bensbach River. Australia: Wild Moluccan rusa occur on Northeast and North islands (near Groote Island) off the northeastern coast of the Northern Territory; on Prince of Wales Island and other nearby islands off the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland; and in the Jacky Jacky Creek area on the Cape York Peninsula. Free-ranging Moluccan rusa are also found on Tynemouth Island off the coast of Queensland, northeast of Brisbane. There also are enclosed Moluccan rusa on some private properties in southeastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales.

TAXONOMIC NOTES As these deer were introduced from elsewhere and historical records are incomplete, we cannot be entirely certain of their racial purity. However, from the information available, and the animals' physical characteristics, we think it is reasonable to treat them as Moluccan rusa (C. t. moluccensis) in the Record Book. For background information, please see Taxonomic Notes under the main Rusa Deer heading above.

REMARKS The deer of the small northern islands, such as Northeast, Prince of Wales, Friday and Possession islands, are much smaller than mainland specimens. Other than Prince of Wales Island, which covers 95 square miles (24,600 ha), these small islands afford limited forage and inadequate fresh water at times, resulting in small deer with weak antlers. They should not be overlooked, however, as they offer an interesting hunt in an unusual environment.