Chhaya Bhatnagar

Food habits of Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis Elliot) in tropical deciduous forest, Rajasthan, India

Abstract. The feeding habits of Indian giant flying squirrels (Petaurista philippensis Elliot 1839) were studied in the Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India, from March 2009 to February 2010. Feeding by flying squirrels was arboreal and consisted entirely of plant materials. Based on 5,071 feeding records, 20 plant species belonging to 13 families were used. Madhuca longifolia was the most eaten species (31.85% of annual diet) followed by Terminalia bellirica (17.11 %), Terminalia tomentosa (9.52%) and Diospyros melanoxylon (8.09%). The most consumed food part was the pith (78.06%) with other plant parts (twigs, leaves, bark, flowers, buds, fruits and seeds) comprising 21.94% of the annual diet. Early night was found to be the most active time for feeding, and feeding reduced until 0530 hrs.

Activity and social behaviour of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Western India

Abstract. The four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) is a vulnerable, solitary endemic and smallest Asian herbivore bovid. Its activity and social behaviour were observed in the three wildlife sanctuaries of western India, by opportunistic focal animal sampling method from April 2014 to May 2016. The results show two peaks in animal activity; first in morning hours and second in evening hours mostly devoted to feeding (28.12 %) and walking (22.35 %). The species was observed to be mostly solitary (67.06 %) and the mean group size was 2.5 (± 1.29 SD). The mean flight initiation distance was 62.53 (± 23.47 SD) m, which was insignificantly related to freezing duration (r2 = 0.188, Y-intercept = 46.33 ± 8.49, P = 0.08). Localized defecation of T. quadricornis was found along with three mammals, while direct observations showed its association with six other mammals. The species also gleaned four plant parts of 13 tree species dropped by langurs.

Magico-religious and social belief of tribals of district Udaipur, Rajasthan

BackgroundReligious beliefs and practices have long influenced human perceptions and uses of nature. Animals in particular play a prominent role in magico-religious practices and provide historical and cultural depth of these relationships. Understanding human-faunal relations is often fundamental to the cause of meaningful wildlife conservation. This study investigates the domestic and wild harvested species used for spiritual and religious purposes among the tribals of six tehsils of Udaipur district.MethodsThe ethnozoological data were obtained by an emic approach, applying different tools such as semi-structured interviews, participatory rural appraisal, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. The scientific name and species of animals were identified using relevant and standard literature. Present investigation is a part of major concept worked out for study on tribal people and their beliefs. Ethnozoological information was collected by interview of 150 tribals. The questionnaire was prepared in Hindi keeping all parameters in mind. A total of 55 respondents (35 males and 20 females) answered to the magico-religious parameter. The collected data were analyzed through informant fidelity level (FL).ResultsThe present study was undertaken to have an insight of the ethnozoological uses of animals prevalent in Bhil, Meena, and Kathodi tribes inhabiting the Udaipur district of Rajasthan. A total of 25 animals used for magico-religious and social purposes were recorded from the study area. Out of the total number of animals, 60% (15) were mammals, 24% (6) were birds, 12% (3) were reptiles, and the rest 4% (1) were the mollusks. Of the total ethnozoological practices, 64% fall in the magico-religious category, 12% in socio-cultural category, 12% in the category of ethnomusical, and 12% in the category of taboos.ConclusionsThe tribal people maintain strong ties with animals at both the material and spiritual level. Study reveals that traditional people depend on local therapies either magico-religious or natural ones in absence of awareness, modern medical facilities, expensive drugs, and poor transportation. However, the use of animal material in such practices is on a decline.

Seasonal Variation in the Activity Budget of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in Tropical Deciduous Forest, Rajasthan, India

Abstract. Knowledge of the activity patterns and budget provide insight into how animal adapt to the environment through behavioural modification. Time activity budget of Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaturista philippensis) was studied in the tropical deciduous forests of the Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India, from March 2009 to February 2010. The study revealed that the species exhibited a bimodal activity pattern with a first peak in the early-night, while a second lower peak occurred during the late-night. Annual activity budget was mostly devoted to resting (45.85 %) and feeding (27.72 %) followed by locomotion (10.84 %), grooming (6.20 %), exploring (5.71 %), inside tree cavity (2.15 %), and calling (1.24 %) activities. Except grooming (P < 0.05) and inside tree cavity (P < 0.0001), all other activities did not show significant difference (P > 0.05) among seasons. Among all seasons, the species was found more active in winter season.

Ophidians of Rajasthan

The chapter briefly presents diversity and distribution of the Ophidiofauna of Rajasthan in various ecological regions. Out of a total of 275 snake species occurring in India, 34 species belonging to six families, namely, Typhlopidae, Pythonidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, and Viperidae have been reported from Rajasthan. Of them, only six species are venomous, seven are mildly venomous, and 21 species are of the nonvenomous variety. IUCN categorizes eight snakes as Low Risk Least Concern (LR-LC), another 22 as Low Risk but considered Near Threatened (LR-NT), and one species as Vulnerable (VU). Common serpent taxa like Brahminy Worm Snake, Common Sand Boa, Red Sand Boa, Indian Rat Snake, Common Wolf Snake and three venomous species, namely, Common Krait, Spectacled Cobra, and Saw-scaled Viper are widespread in the state of Rajasthan. Keoladeo National Park (KNP), Bharatpur is an excellent site to observe the Indian Rock-Python. Conservation threats such as increase in agricultural and urban areas and killing of snakes out of fear and recommendations for their protection have also been discussed along with the myths about snakes. No distribution mapping and proper taxonomical studies of the snake species found in the state have been done so far in the recent past.