Population Densities of the Blacknaped Hare Lepus Nigricollis Nigricollis At Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh

4 Pages·1999·2 MB·

by  Ranjit Manakadan

POPULATION DENSITIES OF THE BLACKNAPED HARELEPUSNIGRICOLLIS
NIGRICOLLISATROLLAPADUWILDLIFE SANCTUARY,KURNOOLDISTRICT,
ANDHRA PRADESH
1
(With one text-figure)
RanjitManakadanandAsadR. Rahmani2
Keywords: blacknaped hare, Lepus nigricollis nigricollis, population, census,
Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh.
Thispaperispartofastudycarried outontheIndian fox VulpesbengalensisatRollapadu
Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumool dist., AndhraPradesh, between July 1994 and April 1995. It
describesthe census method (actuallydevised forthe fox) used forestimating population
densities ofthe blacknaped hare Lepus nigricollis nigricollis. A comparative census was
conducted in grazed grassland and ungrazed grassland for the species. The results ofthe
censuses are discussed.
Introduction rainfall of 668 mm, received from both the
Southwest and Northeast monsoons, Summer
During censuses ofthe IndianFox Vulpes (March to May) peaks at 42°C and winter
bengalensis at Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary (Novemberto Febmary) is mild (17°C).
(RWS), Kurnool dist., Andhra Pradesh, we TheSanctuary,coveringanareaof6.14km2
,
encountered the blacknaped hare Lepus consists of three grazing and disturbance
nigricollis nigricollis quite regularly during the free grassland enclosures, set up in 1982 to
samplings.Werealisedthatthecensustechnique improve the habitat ofthe great Indian bustard
used for the fox was also suitable in detecting Ardeotis nigriceps. These enclosures are
and estimating population densities cfthe hare. surrounded by grazing land and crop fields.
We suggest the use ofthis census technique for The grazed grassland is characterised by short
estimating the population densities of hares, grass (<30cm) with poor ground cover,
since it can be done by an individual and does dominatedby Chrysopogonfulvus, Heteropogon
not need any equipment. Other methods, such contortus and Melanocenchris jacquemontii.
as trapping or drive counts, are stressful for the The ungrazed grassland (enclosures) has taller
species, and involve more personnel, effort and grasses (c. 50 cm.) with good ground cover,
equipment. In this note, we describe the census dominated by Heteropogon contortus,
methodused,anddiscussthefindingsofthestudy. Chrysopogon fulvus and Eremopogon
foveolatus. Sehima nervosum (>100 cm), the
StudyArea
climaxgrasslandspeciesofgravellysoilsofthese
Rollapadu is 18 km southeast of areas (Dabadghao and Shankarnarayan 1973)
Nandikotkur (15°58’N and 78°18’E), Kumool has formedpure stands inpatches in some areas
dist., Andhra Pradesh. It lies in the plains ofthe enclosures. The scmblandwas dominated
between the Nallamalai and Yerramalai hills, at by Carissa spinarum, Cassia auriculata, C.
analtitude ofabout 200 m. The terrain is gently fistula Phoenix sylvestris and Zizyphus
, ,
undulating, with predominantly poor red soil. mauritiana.
The region is semi-arid with an average annual TheothermajorfaunaoftheSanctuaryare
lesser florican Sypheotides indica, harriers
‘AcceptedOctober1998
^BombayNaturalHistorySociety, (mostly Circus pygargus and C. macrourus),
HombillHouse,S.B.SinghRoad, blackbuckAntilopecervicapra,wolfCanislupus,
Mumbai400023. jackal CanisaureusandcommonIndianmonitor
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2), AUG. 1999 221
POPULATIONDENSITIESOFTHEBLACKNAPEDHARE
Varanus bengalensis. For more details on the the greater visibility in the former. Hence,
Sanctuary, see Manakadan and Rahmani (1989, approximately the same area ca 40 ha) was
( .
&
1993 1997). covered in the two habitat types during the one
hour searches.
Methodology Census was done in the evenings once
Foursites were selectedineachofthe two afortnightfromJuly 1994toApril 1995. Except
habitat types (grazed grassland and ungrazed for one site in the grazing land, which was
grassland). The areawas thoroughlycoveredon predominantlyopenshortscrubland,alltheother
foot at a constant steady pace, walking in an sitesamplesweregrassland(grazedorungrazed).
irregular and generally zigzag manner. Some Censuses conducted in tall grass areas (> 100
light noise, such as humming, dragging offeet cm) and dense scrubland were discontinued, as
or tapping the bushes with a stick, was made to itwasapparentthatthetechniquewasunsuitable
flushouthares. Onflushing ahare, thedirection for such habitat types (hares could hide or run
itranandtheplaceitstoppedwasnotedtoavoid offundetected).
duplicationofcounts.Themicro-habitats(grass/
shrub species and their height) in which the Results
animalswereencounteredwererecorded.Aunit
time (animals/hr) adopted as the basis of the Consideringthemeanvaluesofthefour
censuses initially, was later modified, as larger sitesforeachhabitattype,theharewasrecorded
areas could be covered in the grazed than forallthemonths intheungrazedgrassland, and
ungrazed grassland in the time period, due to onlyonce in the grazedgrassland(Fig.1) during
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
J‘94 A S O N D J'95 F M A
Month
HH
Ungrazedgrassland
Note: Theharewasrecordedonlyonceinthegrazedgrassland
Fig. 1: Density oftheblacknaped hare at Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary
222 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
POPULATIONDENSITIESOFTHEBLACKNAPEDHARE
Table1 ungrazed grassland in the enclosures. Greater
CHARACTERISTICSOFHARESIGHTINGSITES
grass biomass, cover from predators, and the
VegetationType No. of Remarks absenceofhumanrelateddisturbances,provided
sightings better habitat and survival chances for the hare
Shortgrass(<30cm) 11 Nineharesundercoverof in the enclosures. In the grazing land, fodder
abushortallgrass wasscarce,grasscoverminimal,anddisturbance
tussock. from humans heavy, except during summer.
Tallgrass
(>30cm-cfl.50cm) 15 Onehareundercoverof Surreptitious hunting ofhares also occurred in
abush. the grazing lands. In the grazing lands, the hare
Mediumgrass takesshelterunderthornybushesorincropfields
(tall+short) 1 - (where villagers trap them during the harvest).
TotalSightings 27 - Judging by the lower densities during the hot
the wet season (July - October 1995). Data was season, there seems to be some dispersal or
notcollectedfromNovembertothefirstfortnight wandering of the hare during the hot season.
of December. For the rest of the study period Prater (1980) described greater movement of
(second fortnight ofDecember till April 1995 - hares during the hot weather, when the grass is
dry season), the hare was not recorded in the scarce.
grazed grassland, but was occasionally flushed The studies show thatthe hare is largely a
in the ungrazed grassland. Densities ofthe hare grassland species, and has a preference for tall
were lower in the dry season than in the wet (ca. 50 cm) grasslands. Short grass areas, even
season. There were no sightings ofthe hare in within the protected enclosures, were not
the scrubland habitat sampled. preferred, at least for ‘forms’. Almost always,
Of the total of 27 sightings (Table 1) in those recorded in short grass stands
both the habitat types together, the maximum (Heteropogoncontortus Chrysopogonfulvus)in
,
sightings were in tall grass areas (> 30cmto ca. the enclosure were found under a bush or an
50 cm). Of the eleven sightings in short grass isolated patch of tall grass (Eremopogon
habitat (< 30 cm), in nine cases, the hares were foveolatus, Sehima nemosum or Cymbopogon
detected under the cover ofa bush or tall grass caesius). Veryfewsightingsduringtheseorother
clump,pointingtothenecessityofcoverinshort studies were obtained from scrub-dominated
grass areas. areas ofeither the enclosures or grazing lands.
Therefore, the spread ofscrub, as seen in some
Discussion areas ofthe enclosures, could be detrimental to
this species.
The hare is nocturnal, but not exclusively Ourstudiesshowthatthecensustechnique
so (Prater 1980). Hence, most ofthe sites where devised by us could be used for estimating the
the hare was recorded were likely to be ‘forms’ populations of the hare (and other similar
(regularsleepingspotswherethegrassisarranged reclusive species) in grassland and scrubland
into a hollow) or near such sleeping quarters. habitats ofup to ca. 50 cm.
Nevertheless, the repeated flushing ofhares from
thesameareacouldalsoindicatethattheseanimals Acknowledgements
heldterritories.Thisimpliesthatareassurrounding
such ‘forms’ were theirforaging areas. Thispaperisanoff-shootoftheGrassland
The population ofthe hare was low in the Ecology Projectofthe BombayNatural History
grazed grassland, while it was fairly high in the Society, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 96(2), AUG. 1999 223
POPULATIONDENSITIESOFTHEBLACKNAPEDHARE
Service and sponsored by the Ministry of workinthe Sanctuary, andthe co-operationand
EnvironmentandForests. We thankthe Andhra helprenderedbythe staffofRollapaduWildlife
Pradesh Forest Department for permission to Sanctuary.
Refe ENCES
Dabadghao,P.M.&K.A.Shankarnarayan(1973): The Sridhar & A.K. Chakravarthy), Bangalore.
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Research,NewDelhi. Manakadan, R. & A.R. Rahmani (1997): Rollapadu
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Wildlife Sanctuary. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. grasslands of the Indian plains with particular
86(3): 368-380. referencetotheirendangeredfauna. Final Report,
Manakadan, R. & A.R. Rahmani (1993): A decade of (Ed: A. R. Rahmani). Bombay Natural History
conservation of the Great Indian Bustard at Society,Mumbai,pp. 117-180
Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumool district, Prater, S.H. (1980): The Book of Indian Animals
AndhraPradesh. Proc. ChangingScenarioofBird (3rd Edition). Bombay Natural History Society,
Ecology and Conservation (Ed: A. Verghese, S. Bombay.
224 JOURNAL BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 96(2) AUG. 1999