Abdul Aziz Khan

Deterioration impact of Indian crested porcupine, Hystrix indica, on forestry and agricultural systems in Pakistan.

Abstract In Pakistan, Hystrix indica is abundant and distributed all over the country. It has been identified as a serious pest of traditional as well as non-traditional crops, fruit orchards, vegetables, flowering plants and grasses of forage importance in rangelands. The most important porcupine damage, however, occurs in forestry and reforestation areas. Damage estimates of 52.5% to Melia azedarach , 24.3% to Morus alba and 1% to Dalbergia sissoo in different irrigated forest plantations of Punjab has been described. Severe stocking damage of 60% to Pinus roxburghii and 42% to Robinia pseudoacacia was recorded in different areas of Tarbela Watershed Management Project. Crops of economic importance such as maize, groundnut and potatoes are severely damaged in irrigated plains and mountain regions. Among the vegetables, okra, pumpkin, bitter gourd, and onions are badly damaged. In rangelands different species of grasses such as Pennisetum sp., Cenchrus ciliaris and Cymbopogan jawarancusa are uprooted which severely affects sustainable grazing. Dirt raised embankments of link and irrigational canals have become weakened because of the most favourable denning sites for the porcupines. Damage to plastic tubing is common where drip irrigation is practised.

Field evaluation of some bait additives against Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) (Rodentia: Hystricidae)

This research study evaluated the effect of different additives on the bait consumption by Indian crested porcupine, a serious forest and agricultural pest, under field conditions. Different additives (saccharin, common salt, bone meal, fish meal, peanut butter, egg yolk, egg shell powder, yeast powder, mineral oil and coconut oil) at 2 and 5% each were tested for their relative preference, using groundnut-maize (1:1) as basic bait. All the additives were tested under a no-choice test pattern. For control tests, no additive was mixed with the basic bait. Saccharin at 5% concentration significantly enhanced the consumption of bait over the basic bait, while 2% saccharin supplemented bait resulted in a non-significant bait consumption. All other additives did not enhance the consumption of the bait material; rather, these worked as repellents. However, the repellency was lowest with the common salt, followed by egg yolk, egg shell powder, bone meal, peanut butter, mineral oil, fish meal and yeast powder, while coconut remained the most repellent compound. The present study suggested that groundnut-maize (1:1) supplemented with 5% saccharin was the preferred bait combination, and can be used with different rodenticides for the management of Indian crested porcupine.