Leopard (Panthera pardus) attempting to prey on Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica centralis)

2 Pages·1997·1.3 MB·

by  Prachi Mehta

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
555
References
Chakraborty, S. (1978): The Rustyspotted Cat, Felis Gee, E.P.(1964): The Wildlife ofIndia, Collins, London,
rubiginosa I. Geoffroy, in Jammu and Kashmir, pp 1149.
J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 75(2): 478-479. Pathak, B.J. (1990): Rustyspotted Cat, Felis rubiginosa
Chavan, S.A., C.D. Patel, S.V. Pawar, N.S. Gogate & Geoffroy: A new record for Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
N.P. Pandya(1991): SightingsoftheRustyspotted Cat, and National Park, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 87(3):
Felis rubiginosa Geoffroy in Shoolpaneshwar 445.
Sanctuary, Gujarat, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 88(1): Prater, S.H. (1971): The Book ofIndian Animals, Third
107-108. (Revised) Edition, Bombay Natural History Society,
Das, P.K., J.P. Lal & V.C. Agrawal (1993): Mammalia: Bombay, pp 74.
State Fauna Series-1; Fauna of Orissa, Saharia, V.B. (1981): Wildlife in India, Department of
Part 4. Zoological Survey ofIndia, Calcutta, pp 143- Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry ofAgriculture,
180. Government ofIndia, New Delhi, pp 95.
Digveerendrasinh (1995): OccurrenceoftheRustyspotted Tehsin, R. (1994): Rustyspotted Cat Felis rubiginosa
Cat(Felisrubiginosa) in MadhyaPradesh,J. Bombay Geoffroy sighted near Udaipur. J. Bombay nat. Hist.
nat. Hist. Soc. 92(3): 407-408. Soc. 91(1): 136.
LEOPARD PANTHERA PARDUS) ATTEMPTING TO PREY ON INDIAN
3. (
GIANT SQUIRREL (RATUFA INDICA CENTRALIS)
It was the morning of 5th June, 1995 at jumped andvanished intothe thickundergrowth
Satpura National Park (MP) when my driver below. Various predators seem to be a perpetual
suddenlyhalted ourvanon seeingahugebamboo threat to giant squirrels. Raptorial attacks on
rhizome offthe road. As we descended from the giant squirrels havebeenreported earlier. Borges
vehicle to examine the rhizome we heard the (1986) and Joshua and Johnsingh (1994) have
alarm call of a giant squirrel (Ratufa indica reported black eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis
centralis from a distance of about 20 m. perniger) attempting to predate on the giant
)
Following the direction ofthe very loud call, we squirrel. Datta (1993) and I have also observed
spotted the squirrel on the trunk ofa hugeAdina a crested hawk eagle Spizaetus cirrhatus
(
cordifolia tree, lying motionless and calling cirrhatus tryingto attackagiant squirrel. Hutton
)
continuously. After a second appeared a leopard (1949) had observed the Nilgiri marten
(Pantherapardus) fromthe other sideofthetree. Charroniagwatkinsi (Horsfield) feeding ongiant
Theleopard wasbalancing himselfverygingerly squirrel. Leopards areknownto be opportunistic
on the tree trunk right behind the squirrel. The feedersand occasionallyfeedupon arborealprey
squirrel swiftly went to the other side ofthe tree such as langurs, but the giant squirrel does not
with the leopard following it. This chase seem to be such an easv prey.
continued two more times around the tree.
Finally, the squirrel tookabold leap forward and March 22, 1997 PRACHI MEHTA
jumped on to an adjacent Terminalia tomentosa Senior Research Fellow,
tree and then to the next tree and disappeared. Wildlife Institute ofIndia, Post Box 18,
The leopard did not pursue it further as he Chandrabani, Dehra Dun-248 001.
References
Borges, R.M. (1986): Predation attempt by Black Eagle Datta, A. (1993): Space use patterns ofthe Indian Giant
(Ictinaetus malayensisperniger) on Indian Giant squirrel(Ratufaindicacentralis)inrelationtofood
Squirrel(Ratufa indicaelphistoni).J. Bombaynat. availability in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, MP, India.
Hist. Soc. 86(Suppl): 203. M.Sc dissertation, Saurashtra University.
\
556 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 94 (1997)
&
Joshua, J A.J.T. Johnsingh (1994): Impact of biotic Hutton, A.F. (1949): Feeding habits oftheNilgiri Marten
disturbances on the habitat and population ofthe (Charronia gwatkinsi (Horsfield) J. Bombay nat.
endangered grizzled giantsquirrelRatufamacroura Hist. Soc. 48\ 355-356.
in South India. Biol. Cons (68): 29-34.
OCCURRENCE OF THE BROWN PALM CIVET IN THE WET FOREST OF
4.
KALAKAD MUNDANTHURAI TIGER RESERVE, TAMIL NADU
The Western Ghats harbourmany rareand Cullenia exarillata andripefruits ofElaeocarpus
endemic fauna. However, distribution, status and munronii and Palaquium ellipticum whenever
ecology ofmany ofthem remain unclear. In this available andprobably serve as an important seed
note, the occurrence and status ofthebrownpalm disperser in this area.
civet Paradoxurus jerdoni) in the evergreen The civetsbreed in this area in summer. A
(.
forest of Kakachi c 1250m) in the Kalakad pair of new bom young of this civet was found
( .
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of south India is deep inside the forest at Kakachi in May 1992.
We
discussed. noticedthepupsbecause oftheiryelpingcall.
The brown palm civet Paradoxurus They were in the litter, blind and probably not
(
jerdoni) is endemic to the Western Ghats and is more than a week old. There was no sign of
an inhabitant of the high elevation forests injury, but unfortunately our attempts to rear
(Jerdon, 1874). Though not considered as rare them failed. Like the adults inthe area, the pups
as the endangered Malabar civet Viverra also had a white tipped tail.
(
civettina very little is known about its status or Being nocturnal and restrictedto the dense
),
distribution in the Agasthyamalai region of forest ofthe evergreenand moist deciduoustype,
the southern Western Ghats (Ashraf et al. the brown palm civet has rarely been sighted.
1993). We observed that it is an important contributor
Inthe Kakachi-Upper Kodayar area ofthe to the dynamics oftree regeneration in the wet
KMTR, thebrownpalm civet appearsto be fairly forest. Hence, continuedprotection ofthe species
common. Over the six years (1990-1996) ofour and its habitat is very essential.
stay in Kodayar, we have sighted this animal
more than ten times during the night and only Acknowledgement
twice during the day. Recentlyin April 1996, we
sighted an individual in the canopy of the I thank Dr. Ajith Kumar of Salim Ali
evergreenforest, baskinginthe sunshine atnoon Center for Ornithology and Natural History,
andlater eatingtheflowers ofCullenia exarillata Coimbatorefor identifyingthebrown palmcivet.
until late in the afternoon. This animal was The work was supported by a TERI-MacArthur
lethargic even in our presence and was probably grant.
sick.
Our sightings ofthe civethave mostlybeen March 22, 1997 T. GANESH
on or near flowering or fruiting trees during the 29, Chetty Street,
night. They regularly feed on the flowers of Pondicherry 605 001.
References
Ashraf, N.V.K., A. Kumar & A.J.T. Johnsingh (1993): Jerdon, T.C. (1874): A Handbook of the Mammals
Two endemicviverrids ofthe WesternGhats, India. of India. Repr. 1984, Mittal Publications,
Oryx 27 109-114. Delhi.