Distribution and relative abundance of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in Gujarat, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22120/jwb.2020.130618.1163Keywords:
Arboreal, encounter rate, protected areas, rodents, western IndiaAbstract
We assessed the distribution pattern and abundance of Petaurista philippensis in the state of Gujarat, India. Itis the only species of flying squirrel found in the western states of India. The species was distributed on a large geographic area with confined populations in the eastern dry and moist deciduous forest stretch with tall trees within the state. During the study period, 33 times flying squirrels were encountered at 14 sites in 7 districts, concentrated mainly in protected areas. The overall encounter rate was 0.50 individuals/km among which, the central districts of Gujarat showed the highest while the north-east districts showed the lowest abundance of P. philippensis. It was found to be a tree-dwelling species, positively associated with old-growth forests with tall trees. The abundance rates were found to be associated with forest degradation and hunting practices. Illegal hunting practices persists in some areas of Gujarat, may affect the population number and trend. Apart from forest degradation and fragmentation, hunting for domestic consumption, ethnomedicinal uses, traditions, and human-made forest fires were the major potent threats of flying squirrels as found during the present study.
References
Ando, M., Shiraishi, S., & Uchida, T. A. (1985). Feeding behaviour of three species of squirrels. Behaviour, 95 (1-2), 76-86. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853985X00055
Anonymous. (1981). Techniques for the study of primate population ecology. Washington, DC. National Academy Press.
Annonymous. (1961). Gujarat State Gazetteers: Broach District. Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications, Gujarat State.
Baba, M., Doi, T., & Ono, Y. (1982). Home range utilization and nocturnal activity of the Giant flying squirrel, Petaurista leucoenys. Japanese Journal of Ecology, 32, 189-198. https://doi.org/10.18960/seitai.32.2_189
Babu, S., & Jayson, E. A. (2009). Anti-predator behaviour of large brown flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis): is this an effective census method to survey the species. Current Science, 96, 772-773.
Carey, A. B. (1991). The biology of arboreal rodents in Douglas-fir forests. U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report.
Champion, H. G., & Seth, S. K. (1986). Revised Survey of Forest Types of India. Government of India Press.
Corbet, G. B., & Hill, J. E. (1992). The mammals of the Indomalayan region: A systematic review (pp. 306-320). Oxford University Press.
Corbet G.B., Hill, J.E. 1991. A World List of Mammalian Species, Third edition. Natural History Museum Publications & Oxford University Press.
Kawamichi, T. (1997). Seasonal changes in the diet of Japanese Flying Squirrels in relation to reproduction. Journal of Mammology, 80, 589-599. https://doi.org/10.2307/1382653
Koli, V., & Bhatnagar, C. (2015). Distribution and ethology of Petaurista philippensis in Rajasthan. Thesis. Lambert academic publishing.
Koli, V. K., Bhatnagar, C., & Sharma, S. K. (2013). Distribution and status of Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis Elliot) in Rajasthan, India. National Academy Science Letters, 36, 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40009-012-0105-z
Kozakiewicz, M. (1993). Habitat isolation and ecological barriers - the effect on small mammal populations and communities. Acta Theriologica, 38(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.4098/AT.arch.93-1
Krishna, M. C., Kumar, A., Tripathi, O., & Koprowski, J. (2016). Diversity, Distribution and Status of Gliding Squirrels in Protected and Non-protected Areas of the Eastern Himalayas in India. Hystrix the Italian Journal of Mammalogy, 27(2), 111–119. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-27.2-11688
Kumara, H. N., & Singh, M. (2006). Distribution and relative abundance of giant squirrel and flying squirrel in Karnataka, India. Mammalia, 70, 40-47. https://doi.org/10.1515/MAMM.2006.006
Kumara, H. N., & Singh, M. (2004). The influence of differing hunting practices on the relative abundance of mammals in two rainforest areas of the Western Ghats, India. Oryx, 38, 321-327. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605304000560
Lee, P. F., Progulske, D. R., & Lin, Y. S. (1986). Ecological studies on the two sympatric giant flying squirrel species (Petaurista petaurista and P. alborufus) in Taiwan. Bulletin of the Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, 25(1), 113-124.
Lee, P. F., Lin, Y. S., & Donald, D. P. (1993). Reproductive biology of the red-giant flying squirrel, Petaurista petaurista in Taiwan. Acta Zoologica Taiwanica, 3, 165-170. https://doi.org/10.2307/1382437
Lin, Y. S., Wang, L. L., & Lee, P. F. (1988). The behavior and activity pattern of Giant flying squirrels (Petaurista p. grandis). Quarterly Journal of Chinese Forestry, 21(3), 81-94.
Macdonald, D. W., Mace, G., & Rushton, S. P. (1998). Proposals for the Future Monitoring of British Mammals. DETR, London.
Menon V. 2014. A Field Guide to Indian Mammals. Hachette Book Publishing India.
Nandini, R. (2001). The status and distribution of the small Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus fuscocapillus) and the large brown flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in the Western Ghats. Technical report. SACON.
Nisha. (2017). A study on status and distribution of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) to identify its critical habitats in Gujarat and its conservation. PhD Thesis. Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University.
Rajamani, N. (2000). Ecology and behavior of the large brown flying squirrel petaurista philippensis in a rainforest fragment, Western Ghats. M.S. dissertation, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry.
Nisha, & Dharaiya, N. (2016). A virtual survey based debate on Conservation Strategies of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Peatuarista p. philippensis). Ambient Science, 03(1), 16-21. https://doi.org/10.21276/ambi.2016.03.1.ra02
Pandey, C. N., Patel, S. P., Chavan, S., Salvi, H., Patel, B. H., Vyas, R., Trivedi, P., Jethva, B., & Aiyadurai, A. (2004). The status of biodiversity in Purna Wildlife Sanctuary (a comprehensive ecological and socio-economic study). Gandhinagar, India: GEER Foundation.
Singh, H. S. (2013). Mammals in Gujarat. Gujarat Biodiversity Board, Gadhinagar and Gujarat Forest Department, Gandhinagar.
Singh, N., & Dharaiya, N. (2018). Feeding patterns of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis, Elliot 1839) with reference to seasonal variation in Central Gujarat, India. Journal of Forestry Research, 30, 1959–1965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-018-0762-y
Singh, N., Dharaiya, N, & Vora, U. V. (2016). Report of Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis Elliot, 1839) from Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Panchmahal district, Gujarat. Small Mammal Mail, 8(1), 24–26.
Sutherland, W. J. (2002). Mammals. In: Sutherland WJ, editor. Ecological censusing techniques (pp. 260–278). Cambridge University Press.
Thorington, R. W. Jr., Mus Ante, A. L., Anderson, C. G., & Darrow, K. (1996). The validity of three genera of flying squirrels: Eoglaucomys, Glaucomys, and Hylopetes. Journal Mammal, 77, 69–83. https://doi.org/10.2307/1382710
Thorington, R. W. Jr., Koprowski, J. L., Steele, M. A., & Whatton, J. F. (2012). Squirrels of the
world. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Umapathy, G. U., & Kumar, A. (2000). The occurrence of arboreal mammals in the rain forest fragments in the Anamalai Hills, South India. Biology Conservation, 92, 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3207(99) 00097-X
Vaghela, R. P. (2013). Glimpses of Forests in Gujarat, Forest Department, Gujarat State.
Wemmer, C., Kunz, T. H., Loudie-Jenkins, G., & McShea, W. J. (1996). Mammalian sign. In: Measuring and monitoring biological (pp. 157-176). Smithsonian Institution Press.
Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, A. E. (2005). Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press.
Wroughton, R. C. (1911). Oriental flying squirrels of Pteromys group. Journal Bombay Natural History Society, 26, 338-379.
JWB applies the 