Population density of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica centralis (Ryley, 1913) in Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India
Keywords:
Central Indian landscape, Distance sampling, density estimation, Ratufa indica centralis
Abstract
Information on population and distributional status of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica centralis is poorly known from central Indian hills. The species is endemic to India and widely distributed in Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Central India. In this study using line transect distance sampling we estimated population density of giant squirrel in Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), which is a major biosphere reserve in central India that harbors wide variety of rare endemic and endangered species. Density estimate with total effort of 276km line transect shows 5.5 (± 0.82) squirrels/Km2. This study provides first baseline information on ecological density estimate of Ratufa indica centralis in central Indian landscape. Reduction of anthropogenic pressure should be the first priority for park managers in Satpura Tiger reserve.
References
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Datta A. 1993. Space-use patterns of the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) in relation to food availability in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India. M.Sc. thesis submitted to Saurashtra University.
Datta A and Goyal SP. 1996. Comparison of Forest Structure and Use by the Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Two Riverine Forests of Central India. Biotropica, 28 (3), 394–399.
Datta A. 1998. Anti-predatory response of the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica to predation attempts by the Crested Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus limnaetus. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 95(2): 332–335.
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Ganesh T and Davidar P. 1999. Fruit Biomass and Relative Abundance of Frugivores in a Rain Forest of Southern Western Ghats, India, Journal of Tropical Ecology, 15 (4), 399-413.
Jathanna D, Kumar NS and Karanth KU. 2008. Measuring Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) abundance in southern India using distance sampling, Current Science, 95(7): 885-888.
Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Gopal R and Amin R. 2009. Field Guide: Monitoring tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitats. Third ed. Technical publication of National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
Kanoje RS. 2008. Nesting sites of Indian Giant Squirrels in Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, India, Current Science, 95 (7): 882 – 884.
Kumara HN and Singh M. 2006. Distribution and relative abundance of giant squirrels and flying squirrels in Karnataka, India, Mammalia. 70(1-2): 40-47.
Kumar S, Agoramoorthy G and Hsu MJ. 2007. Population size, density and conservation status of the grizzled giant squirrel in Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary, India. Mammalia. 70(1-2): 89 – 94.
Kumbhar A, Pradhan A and Patwardhan G. 2012. Some observation on dray building and jumping behavior of Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben, 1777). Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology, 2(4): 366 – 368.
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Mehta P, Kulkarni J, Pawar T, Sahoo RK, Arulmalar E and Punjabi G. 2012. Status and Distribution of Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica in Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Wildlife Research and Conservation Society, Pune. Final Technical Report submitted to WWF New Delhi and Ruffords Small Grants Program, United Kingdom. 74.
Mehta P. 1997. Leopard (Panthera pardus) attempting to prey on Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica centralis). Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 94: 555-556.
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Pradhan AK, Shrotriya S and Rout SD. 2012. Observation on Nest- Site selection by Indian giant squirrel in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha, Small Mammal Mail, 4(2):12-13.
Ramesh T, Snehalatha V, Sankar K and Qureshi Q. 2009. Food habits and prey selection of tiger and leopard in Madumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Scientific Transaction in Environment and Technovation, 2(3): 170 – 181.
Ramesh T, Sridharan N, Sankar K, Qureshi Q, Selvan KM, Gokulakkannan N, Francis P, Narasimmarajan K, Jhala YV and Gopal R. 2012. Status of large carnivores and their prey in tropical rain forests of South-Western Ghats, India. International society of Tropical Ecology, 53 (2): 137 – 148.
Ramachandran KK. 1988. Ecology and Behaviour of Malabar Giant Squirrel, Ratufa indica maxima (Schreber), Kerala Forest Research Institute, P 18.
Rout SD. and Swain D. 2006. The Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Similipal Tiger Reserve, Orissa, India. Tiger paper. 33(4): 24-27.
Srinivas V, Venugopal PD and Ram S. 2008. Site occupancy of the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben) in Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Current Science, 95 (7): 889-894.
Umapathy G and Kumar A. 2000. The occurrence of arboreal mammals in the rain forest fragments in the Anamalai Hills, south India, Biological Conservation, 92(3): 311-319.
Borges R, Mali RS and Somanathan H. 1999. The status, ecology and conservation of the Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica. Final report. United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Wildlife Institute of India.
Borges R. 1989. Resource heterogeneity and the foraging ecology of the Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica). PhD Thesis, University of Miami, Florida.
Buckland ST, Anderson DR, Burnham KP and Laake JL. 1993. Distance Sampling: Estimating abundance of biological populations. Chapman and Hall, London. 446.
Buckland ST, Anderson DR, Burnham KP, Laake JL, Borchers DL and Thomas L. 2001. Introduction to distance sampling: Estimating Abundance of Biological Populations. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 432.
Burnham KP, Anderson DR and Laake JL 1980. Estimation of density from line transect sampling of biological populations, Wildlife Monographs, 72: 1-202.
Champion HG and Seth SK 1968. A Revised Survey of the Forest Types of India. Oxford & IBH Publishers, New Delhi.
Datta A. 1993. Space-use patterns of the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) in relation to food availability in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India. M.Sc. thesis submitted to Saurashtra University.
Datta A and Goyal SP. 1996. Comparison of Forest Structure and Use by the Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Two Riverine Forests of Central India. Biotropica, 28 (3), 394–399.
Datta A. 1998. Anti-predatory response of the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica to predation attempts by the Crested Hawk Eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus limnaetus. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 95(2): 332–335.
Datta A. 1999. Daytime resting in the nest – An adaptation by the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica to avoid predation. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 96, 132 – 134.
Ganesh T and Davidar P. 1999. Fruit Biomass and Relative Abundance of Frugivores in a Rain Forest of Southern Western Ghats, India, Journal of Tropical Ecology, 15 (4), 399-413.
Jathanna D, Kumar NS and Karanth KU. 2008. Measuring Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) abundance in southern India using distance sampling, Current Science, 95(7): 885-888.
Jhala YV, Qureshi Q, Gopal R and Amin R. 2009. Field Guide: Monitoring tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitats. Third ed. Technical publication of National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
Kanoje RS. 2008. Nesting sites of Indian Giant Squirrels in Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, India, Current Science, 95 (7): 882 – 884.
Kumara HN and Singh M. 2006. Distribution and relative abundance of giant squirrels and flying squirrels in Karnataka, India, Mammalia. 70(1-2): 40-47.
Kumar S, Agoramoorthy G and Hsu MJ. 2007. Population size, density and conservation status of the grizzled giant squirrel in Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary, India. Mammalia. 70(1-2): 89 – 94.
Kumbhar A, Pradhan A and Patwardhan G. 2012. Some observation on dray building and jumping behavior of Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben, 1777). Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology, 2(4): 366 – 368.
Laake JL, Buckland ST, Anderson DR and Burnham KP. 1994. DISTANCE: user’s guide V2.1. Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA.
Madhusudan MD and Karanth KU. 2002. Local Hunting and the Conservation of Large Mammals in India, Ambio, 31(1): 49-54.
Mehta P, Kulkarni J, Pawar T, Sahoo RK, Arulmalar E and Punjabi G. 2012. Status and Distribution of Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica in Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India. Wildlife Research and Conservation Society, Pune. Final Technical Report submitted to WWF New Delhi and Ruffords Small Grants Program, United Kingdom. 74.
Mehta P. 1997. Leopard (Panthera pardus) attempting to prey on Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica centralis). Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 94: 555-556.
Molur S, Srinivasulu C, Srinivasulu B, Walker S, Nameer PO and Ravikumar L. 2005. Status of South Asian Non-volant Small Mammals: (C.A.M.P.) Workshop Report. Zoo Outreach Organisation/CBSG-South Asia, Coimbatore, India, 618 p.
Pradhan AK, Shrotriya S and Rout SD. 2012. Observation on Nest- Site selection by Indian giant squirrel in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha, Small Mammal Mail, 4(2):12-13.
Ramesh T, Snehalatha V, Sankar K and Qureshi Q. 2009. Food habits and prey selection of tiger and leopard in Madumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Scientific Transaction in Environment and Technovation, 2(3): 170 – 181.
Ramesh T, Sridharan N, Sankar K, Qureshi Q, Selvan KM, Gokulakkannan N, Francis P, Narasimmarajan K, Jhala YV and Gopal R. 2012. Status of large carnivores and their prey in tropical rain forests of South-Western Ghats, India. International society of Tropical Ecology, 53 (2): 137 – 148.
Ramachandran KK. 1988. Ecology and Behaviour of Malabar Giant Squirrel, Ratufa indica maxima (Schreber), Kerala Forest Research Institute, P 18.
Rout SD. and Swain D. 2006. The Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Similipal Tiger Reserve, Orissa, India. Tiger paper. 33(4): 24-27.
Srinivas V, Venugopal PD and Ram S. 2008. Site occupancy of the Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben) in Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Current Science, 95 (7): 889-894.
Umapathy G and Kumar A. 2000. The occurrence of arboreal mammals in the rain forest fragments in the Anamalai Hills, south India, Biological Conservation, 92(3): 311-319.
Published
2013-11-25
How to Cite
Gurjar, R. L., Kumbhar, A. .S., Jena, J., Yogesh, J. K., Dave, C., Singh, R. P., & Mishra, A. (2013). Population density of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica centralis (Ryley, 1913) in Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. Journal of Research in Biology, 3(7), 1086-1092. Retrieved from https://ojs.jresearchbiology.com/ojs1/index.php/jrb/article/view/317
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