Giant Squirrel Research Articles

Ecological Determinants of Occupancy of Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura dandolena, its Activity Pattern and Habitat Use in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India

Ecological Determinants of Occupancy of Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura dandolena, its Activity Pattern and Habitat Use in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India

First photographic evidence of black giant squirrel Ratufa bicolor (Sparrman, 1778) in Makawanpur District, Nepal

First photographic evidence of black giant squirrel Ratufa bicolor (Sparrman, 1778) in Makawanpur District, Nepal

Leaf‐Dicing Masters: Jackfruit Leaf Processing by the Indian Giant Squirrel as a Means to Avoid Latex

Leaf‐Dicing Masters: Jackfruit Leaf Processing by the Indian Giant Squirrel as a Means to Avoid Latex

Feeding ecology of a lesser-known arboreal giant: Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura), Southern Western Ghats, India.

Animal dietary choices help us understand a species' feeding behaviour and are particularly relevant in conservation management. The aim of this study was to gather knowledge on dietary choices and the foraging behaviour of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. The objectives were in particular to determine the food composition, seasonal fluctuations in food selection and feeding technique. Through an observational sampling method, focal animal sampling, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary was found to feed on 30 plant species belonging to 18 families. The most used plant family was Fabaceae, with eight species, followed by Moraceae (four species) and Anacardiaceae (two species). The food species consumed included 22 trees, four climbers, one liana, one paraphyte, one shrub and one succulent species. The squirrel spent the most time feeding on Bauhinia racemosa (19.79%), followed by Tamarindus indica (14.08%) and Nothopegia beddomei (9.89%). The squirrel's diet choice was primarily influenced by the availability of food tree species and food resources rather than the season and nontree species were also found in the diet of Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Although the Grizzled Giant Squirrel exhibits some plasticity in its dietary choices, the available diversity of mature trees and plants as food sources appears to be important for its conservation in the fragmented riparian forest of the Western Ghats in Southern India.

Frugivory, predation, and seed dispersal in Elaeocarpus munronii (Wight) Mast. (Elaeocarpaceae) -a near threatened species of the Western Ghats, India

Frugivory and seed dispersal of Elaeocarpus munronii (Wight) Mast. were studied in the shola forest of Eravikulam National Park. The entire day was divided into four-time intervals: morning (07.00–10.00), midday (10.00–01.00), afternoon (01.00–04.00), and evening (04.00–07.00) for data collection. Eleven bird and animal species from 10 families feed on the ripened fruits of this endemic tree. The frugivores are Nilgiri wood pigeon (Columba elphinstonii), large-billed crow (Corvus macororhynchos), small green barbet (Megalaima viridis), red vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), Indian cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus), Nilgiri langur (Semnopithecus johni), lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), brown palm civet (Paradoxurus jerdonii), Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), grizzled Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura), and Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica). Lion-tailed macaques, Indian crested porcupines, Indian giant squirrels, and grizzled Indian giant squirrels were the seed predators. Diurnal animals had the most visits during midday (10.00 am-1.00 pm), while nocturnal animals had the most visits during late evening (7.00 pm-10.00 pm). Nilgiri langurs had the highest predation intensity (92.93%), and brown palm civets left the most intact seeds (76.34%). Frugivore visits were evenly distributed across various individual trees, highlighting the importance of E. munronii trees as a food source for many species.

Threats faced by Humboldtia bourdillonii Prain (Magnoliopsida: Fabales: Fabaceae), an endangered tree endemic to the southern Western Ghats, India

Humboldtia bourdillonii is a threatened tree species, endemic to the Western Ghats. Recently, `the species has been facing serious ecological and man-made threats in its natural habitat. The tree is highly infested with insects—jumping thrips and weevils. H. bourdilloni has also an interaction with the Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica. Even though the fruits of this tree species are a food source for the squirrel, the animal spoils the fruits & seeds. Reduced visiting intensity of pollinators and irregularities in flowering & fruiting have affected the species. Conversion of forest areas into plantations, recent abnormal monsoon flooding in Kerala, and human activities have also negatively affected this species.

Nesting Site Preferences of Ratufa indica indica in the Umblebyle Range Forest, Bhadravathi Division, Shimoga, Karnataka

Malabar Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica indica) is one of the four subspecies endemic to India (Abdulali 1952), common to northern and central Western Ghats among species Ratufa indica belonging to Subfamily Ratufinae. The study was designed to analyze the nest tree preferences of animals in the dry deciduous forests of the Umblebyle range, Shimoga, Karnataka (South India) during February, March, and April 2021, surveying 20 transects covering a distance of 47.7 km. Nest tree preferences were assessed by observing 406 dreys (nests) on 385 trees covering an area of 8350.89 ha. The nest trees came from 20 families and 41 species, with 12 tree species in the Family Fabaceae and 84 trees in the Terminalia paniculata having the highest preference. The Squirrels showed the highest preference for deciduous trees over semi-evergreen and evergreen trees. The most preferred tree height and nest height ranged between 11-20m, including 87.53% of nesting trees and 83.89% of nests, respectively. The average nest height was estimated to be 14.73 (±3.311) m, with a minimum and maximum height of 7 m and 28 m, respectively. The difference between average tree height and average nest height was 1.512m.

Ecological correlates of giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) microhabitat use in a lowland tropical forest: implications for matrix management

Ecological correlates of giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) microhabitat use in a lowland tropical forest: implications for matrix management

Population density and nesting behaviour of Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxlebeln, 1777) in Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India

The Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxlebeln, 1777) has been officially designated as Maharashtra’s state animal. It is restricted to the eco-sensitive Western Ghats region and is currently classified as Least Concern species on the IUCN Red List. However, the species is dependent on intact habitat and is negatively impacted by habitat fragmentation. Population density and nesting behavior were studied in a major habitat in the tropical semi-evergreen and evergreen forest of India’s Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. Two-hundred-and-twenty-three direct sighting along 60 km line transects were used to estimate squirrel density. It averaged 13.9±0.18 squirrels/km2. Nesting characteristics were evaluated using 4,224 nests. The squirrel uses 52 different tree species for nesting, with Mangifera indica (15.57%), Olea dioica (14.65%), and Mallotus phillippensis (9.78%) being the most popular. The drays were found on trees that are taller than average, have a massive girth at the breast height, and have continuous closed canopies. To avoid predators, Indian Giant Squirrels usually flee to the nearest adjacent tree.

Observations of Courtship and Mating Behaviour of Malayan Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor, Sparrman, 1778) in Wild

Observations of Courtship and Mating Behaviour of Malayan Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor, Sparrman, 1778) in Wild

Characterisation of breeding habitat of Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Mammalia: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, India

The Grizzled Giant Squirrel (GGS) Ratufa macroura (Pennant, 1769) is a ‘Near Threatened’ and endemic giant squirrel distributed in southern India and Sri Lanka. In India, the species is distributed in more than 10 locations between Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka in the north and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu in the south. A study was conducted in the riparian habitats of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala to understand the habitat characteristics, including the drey site use of GGS. The vegetation of the GGS habitat was studied using the quadrat method, and the dreys were counted using the transects. A total of 95 species of trees were identified from the riverine vegetation, and the GGS used 36 species of trees for drey construction. Most of the dreys were found on Mangifera indica, Terminalia arjuna, Ficus microcarpa, Diospyros ebenum, and Pongamia pinnata. However, the GGS may prefer trees such as Mitragyna parviflora, Diospyros ebenum, Ficus microcarpa, Albizia procera, Acacia nilotica, and Acacia leucophloea for drey construction. The study also highlights the usage of large trees with extensive crown by the GGS for various activities such as feeding, resting, moving, and nesting, thus signifying the necessity for protecting the remaining riverine habitat at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to ensure the long-term conservation of GGS. We recommend an urgent restoration by restocking with already existing, native tree species of the riverine habitat due to the extremely poor regeneration of trees in the riverine habitat that support the only population of the GGS in Kerala.

Two New Distributional Records of Gliding Squirrels in Merapoh Forest Complex, Pahang

A preliminary survey on the diversity of gliding squirrels was conducted from September 2019 until February 2020 in several locations within Merapoh, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia using standard line transect method. The survey areas include a pristine forest, logged-over forest and agro-forested plantations. Gliding squirrels were spotted using a headlamp, binoculars (8x30 magnification) and a Digital SLR affixed with a telephoto lens (Nikon D500 + Nikkor 200-500 F5.6 VR) as they are mainly nocturnal. The highlight of this short survey was two new distributional records of flying squirrels for Merapoh Forest Complex. These two species were Spotted giant gliding squirrel (Petaurista elegans) and Temminck’s gliding squirrel (Petinomys setosus). Other gliding squirrels recorded in this survey include the Red Giant gliding squirrel (Petaurista petaurista), Horsfield’s gliding squirrel (Iomys horsfieldii) and Red-cheeked gliding squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus). Apart from gliding squirrel, a total of eleven (11) species of other squirrels were also recorded within this survey. Continuous and systematic diversity surveys on gliding squirrels are needed as it is still understudied in Malaysia especially Merapoh.

Phenological patterns, fruit predation, and seed dispersal in two Endangered trees (Elaeocarpus spp.) of Southern Western Ghats, India

The observation on phenological patterns, fruit predation, and seed dispersal behavior of Elaeocarpus gaussenii and Elaeocarpus recurvatus was carried out at Megamalai wildlife sanctuary and Kodaikanal wildlife sanctuary, Southern Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. The phenoevents of vegetative and reproductive phases of both trees were mainly depended on climatic factors such as temperature and rainfall. The leaf flushing period of two species of Elaeocarpus was observed during presummer season and the leaf initiation was recorded from the end of November or December. The observation on flowering phenology of two species of Elaeocarpus indicated that mass flowering has observed as regular phenoevents, whereas flowering intensity has varied from year to year. However, in both species, flowering period was influenced by temperature of study site. The fleshy fruits have been attracted by different predators such as the Malabar giant squirrel, lion-tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, Indian crested porcupine, red-whiskered bulbul, green barbet, Indian white-eye. The size and weight of the fruit were also play an important role toward the attraction of predators. The study has find out the problems in the mature individuals of both tree species in the study areas and to develop a solution to raise the additional individuals in the forest areas.

Preliminary Observations of Gliding Squirrels in and Around Great Himalaya National Park, Kullu Forest Division, Western Himalayas, India

Red giant gliding squirrel (Petaurista petaurista) is the most common species of gliding squirrel found in the Western Himalayan range. So far, no record of any other species exists from in and around Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh. During the recent spotlight survey done in the month of October 2018 two individuals of Kashmir gliding squirrel (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus) and eleven individuals of Red giant gliding squirrels (P. petaurista) were observed in and around Great Himalayan National Park. The present study confirms the presence of Kashmir gliding squirrel (E. fimbriatus) in Great Himalayan National Park and its fringe areas.

Composition of frugivores of Baccaurea ramiflora (Phyllanthaceae) and effects of environmental factors on frugivory in two tropical forests of China and Thailand

Frugivory and seed dispersal are key processes that shape both plant and animal communities, they are important in the maintenance and regeneration of forest ecosystems while threatened by environmental changes. This study investigated the frugivores and environmental factors affecting animal visitation and fruit consumption of the evergreen tree Baccaurea ramiflora (Lour.) in Chinese (Xishuangbanna) and Thai (Mo Singto) tropical forest plots. The two plots differ in their mammal faunas, with more large species (Asian elephant, white-handed gibbon, bears) surviving on the Mo Singto plot. We asked whether these differences could resulted in different seed dispersal patterns on the two plots. Nine individual trees were selected in each plot to record arboreal and ground frugivores of B. ramiflora using camera traps. A total of 27 frugivore species were captured from both forest plots, 15 species in Xishuangbanna and 22 in Mo Singto, with ten species shared in both plots. The major frugivores of B. ramiflora in Xishuangbanna were all pre-dispersal seed predators with little contribution to seed dispersal, including Palla’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus), red-cheeked squirrel (Dremomys rufigenis) and black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor). Meanwhile, the major frugivores in Mo Singto were two effective seed dispersers pig-tailed macaque (Macaca leonina) and white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar), and seed predator black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor). The diversity and body size of frugivores in the Xishuangbanna plot were relatively small compared with those in Mo Singto plot. Small-bodied frugivores showed higher activity in Xishuangbanna plot whereas relatively larger frugivores were most active in the Mo Singto plot. The environmental factor that consistently influenced frugivore activity (visitation and consumption of B. ramiflora fruits) was fruit abundance. Ground cover was also a predictor for average visit length and fruit consumption of frugivores. Frugivores visitation rate was higher in Xishuangbanna while average visit length and consumption rates were higher in Mo Singto. The defaunation of large body-size frugivores in Xishuangbanna could have been a result of habitat loss and higher hunting pressure. This may lead to shorter dispersal distances for large-seeded plants, restricting their ability to move across changing landscapes, and threatening their chances of survival over the long term.

Hunting practices of the Jahai indigenous community in northern peninsular Malaysia

Humans have been part of the ecology of Southeast Asian rainforests for millennia. Understanding the hunting practices of forest-dwelling people is important for designing policies and practices aimed to protect both vulnerable wildlife populations and human communities. The Jahai people are forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers living in northern Peninsular Malaysia and believed to be direct descendants of the first anatomically modern humans that arrived to the Malay Peninsula at least 50,000 years ago. We conducted semi-structured interviews in three Jahai villages around the Royal Belum State Park, asking about their knowledge and hunting habits of 11 wild mammal species. Specifically, we asked whether they were able to identify and whether they hunted the 11 animals, their relative prey preference, perceived trends of the animals’ populations, and how they hunted and handled them. Our respondents were familiar with all the species in the survey. None of the 87 respondents claimed to hunt tigers and elephants. The most preferred and commonly hunted species were medium-sized arboreal animals (gibbons and giant squirrels, hunted by >80% of respondents), whereas larger and more dangerous animals (gaur, sun bear, and tapir) were only hunted by a minority (<10%). The Jahai use traditional hunting methods, mainly blowpipes, spears, traditional snares, and fire traps (for smoking animals out of burrows). Only two respondents reported using firearms. Elephant numbers were perceived to be stable; all the other species were perceived to be declining moderately. Almost all the meat caught by the Jahai is for self-consumption, very little is traded with outsiders. The impacts of Jahai hunting on wildlife populations remain unclear, but our study provides a fundamental understanding of Jahai hunting practices for future management and conservation purposes.

Molecular characterization by using 12SrRNA and Cytochrome b for identification of species of genus Ratufa (Rodentia: Scuiridae) including Ratufa indica, endemic species of India

Oriental giant squirrels are tree squirrels classified under family Ratufinae. In India, there are three species of genus Ratufa, i.e. Ratufa bicolor, Ratufa macroura and Ratufa indica. They are also distributed in South and Southeast Asia. However Ratufa indica is endemic to India. The fourth species Ratufa affinis is restricted to Maritime Southeast Asia (East Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand) and probably in Singapore. The species is near threatened .The species R.macroura is endemic to South Asia. Forests of South and Southeast Asia are hotspots of squirrel diversity but at the same time they are at a high risk of extinction because of high deforestation rate and habitat fragmentation. The present molecular study is the first study of the species of Ratufa for their identification. In this study old taxidermy samples were used for amplification of 12SrRNA and Cytochrome b genes. Maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining methods were used to delineate the species by using MEGA 6 and also for molecular analysis for variable, conserved, parsimony and singleton sites. Similarities between species through BLAST indicated 92.21–89.57% between R.macroura vs. R. bicolour; 93.22–90% Ratufa macroura vs. Ratufa indica; 96–92% Ratufa indica vs. Ratufa bicolour, 93.88% between Ratufa affinis vs. Ratufa indica, 93.5% R. affinis vs. R. bicolor, 90.5%. R. affinis vs. R. macroura. Ratufa bicolor is noted to be genetically closer to R. indica as inferred by using both markers. The BLAST result indicated that the obtained sequences matched 99–100% with their respective species. It was also noted that R. bicolor of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal are genetically closer to that of Bhutan. The study also revealed the evolution of R. indica and R. macroura from a single population.

Nesting trees of the Red Giant Gliding Squirrel Petaurista petaurista (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) in a tropical forest of Namdapha National Park, India

The present study investigated the nesting habits of the Red Giant Gliding Squirrel in the tropical forest of Namdapha National Park, India within the time period of 2012–2013. Gliding squirrel nest trees were located by searching for them with using spotlighting during evenings and early mornings. For each den site we recorded data on nesting tree species, total height of tree, height of the nest on tree, tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and canopy connectivity of the nesting tree. We observed P. petaurista using cavity nests (n=27) in eight tree species. The majority of nest trees observed were in Altingia excelsa (40.7%) and Terminalia myriocarpa (22.2%). Trees with less canopy connectivity were preferred for nesting where 59.3% of nest trees had &lt;25% canopy connectivity. Petaurista petaurista nested in trees with an average of 31.1±0.86m (Mean ± SE) height and the nests were located at a mean height of 17.8±0.89m (SE) (min &amp; max: 9.3m &amp; 35.2m). Mean DBH of nesting trees was 70.6±0.98cm (SE) (min &amp; max: 38.2cm &amp; 168.8cm). This data helps in filling the gaps on the denning ecology of the species and may be useful for the management and conservation purpose of forest trees.

A report on the possible interbreeding between Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura and Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern Western Ghats, India

We report a possible instance of hybridization between the Ratufa indica and Ratufa macroura from Western Ghats. The details on the coat of the hybrid individuals, location map where the hybrids where sighted and the conservation challenges have been discussed in the paper.

Fruit Predation and Adaptive Strategies of &lt;i&gt;Garcinia imberti&lt;/i&gt;, an Endangered Species of Southern Western Ghats

The germination and seedling emergence capacity of partially predated seeds of Garcinia imberti Bourd., an endemic and endangered tree species of the southern Western Ghats, was assessed with differentially devoured seeds. Pre-dispersal, fruit/seed predation by arboreal mammals especially Ratufa indica (Malabar Giant Squirrel) and to a smaller extent by Trachypithecus johnii (Nilgiri Langur) was observed. The fragmented seeds of natural predation as well as manually cut seed pieces showed speedy germination. Seed fragments with more than 50% of seed tissues showed high seed vigour index. The germination behaviour of cut seeds indirectly conveyed the simulated effect of predated seed germination in natural habitat. Germination of fragmented seeds overcomes the inevitable prolific predatory problems by frugivores. This study showed that G. imberti seeds tolerate predation to a certain extent as an adaptive character ensuring seed dispersal and seedling establishment through a unique plant–animal mutuality.