Ratufa Indica Research Articles

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

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.

Comparison of Tree Species Diversity and Usage by Ratufa indica indica in Umblebyle Range Forest, Bhadravathi Division, Shimoga, Karnataka, India

Comparison of Tree Species Diversity and Usage by Ratufa indica indica in Umblebyle Range Forest, Bhadravathi Division, Shimoga, Karnataka, India

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.

Comparison of Nesting site preferences of Ratufa indica indica in Umblebyle Range Forest 2021 and 2022

Ratufa indica indica is a gaint arboreal squirrel species endemic to India, common to Western Ghats. The study is designed to compare Nesting site preferences of Ratufa indica indica conducted in 2022 with the studies from 2021 in the Umblebyle range forest of Shimoga. The study uses Line transect methodology which was plotted using Arc GIS that includes 20 line transects of 47.7 kms covering a total area of 8350.89ha. Study from 2021 showed a total of 406 dreys (nests) constructed on 385 trees while the one from 2022 showed a total of 455 dreys constructed on 415 trees. The nest trees from 2021 belonged to 20 families and 41 species while the one from 2022 belonged to 22 families and 36 species with highest preference Family Fabaceae that included 12 tree species in 2021 and 8 tree species in 2022 respectively. Terminalia paniculata was most preferred tree species that included 84 and 85 trees in 2021 and 2022 respectively.The study also showed the animal preferred average tree height of 16.18 ± 3.43 (2021) and 18.05 ± 3.485m (2022). The studies further showed preference of Ratufa indica indica for deciduous trees over semi-evergreen and evergreen trees.

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.

Ratufa indica

This datasheet on Ratufa indica covers Identity, Distribution.

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.

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 <i>Garcinia imberti</i>, 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.

<b>Floristic diversity of Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India</b>

Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) is located on the crestline of the northern Western Ghats in Pune and Thane districts in Maharashtra State. It was notified in October 1985 towards conservation of the state animal of Maharashtra, the Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica ssp. elphinstonii. Although an important protected area in the Western Ghats, due to the lack of a comprehensive report, an assessment of floristic diversity of BWS was done from 2009 to 2016. The results revealed that forest types and microhabitats are diverse in the sanctuary. Major forest types are western subtropical broad leaved hill forest to moist deciduous types with a few included small patches of evergreen forests. The rich flora of the sanctuary is represented by a total of 1,142 angiospermic taxa at species and infraspecific level spread over 619 genera and 124 families. Of these 1,094 taxa are wild, which belong to 118 families and 586 genera. Rest of the taxa are planted (34), and 14 introduced. The taxa are classified as per the APG IV. The wild taxa include 20 magnolids, 285 monocots, one Ceratophyllales and 788 eudicots. Out of these, 217 taxa are Indian endemics; which comprise about 19.84% of the total number of wild taxa (1,094) in the sanctuary and 5.04% of total Indian endemics (4,303). Total 53 taxa are under different threat categories according to IUCN. BWS harbours a significant extent of angiosperms in a very small geographic area.

Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) Distribution pattern, Habitat Structure and Characteristics in the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, India

Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) Distribution pattern, Habitat Structure and Characteristics in the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, India

Patterns of Human-Wildlife Conflict and People’s Perception towards Compensation Program in Nilambur, Southern Western Ghats, India

Aim: The aim of this research was to examine patterns of human-wildlife conflict and assess community perception towards compensation program implemented to ameliorate human-wildlife co-existence.Location: North and South Forest Divisions, Nilambur, South India.Material and Methods: Data were collected from the official archives of applications made by victims or their families at Divisional Forest Office, Nilambur North and South Forest Division, for the period 2010–2013. The data included (a) types of conflict, (b) wildlife species involved in the conflict, (c) dates of application made by applicants, (d) dates of final decision made by concerned authority and (d) relief amount sanctioned. People’s perceptions towards compensation program were gathered using a questionnaire survey (n=179).Key findings: Crop damage was the most common type of conflict, followed by property damage, injury and death by wildlife attack. Crop damage was contributed mainly by elephant (Elephas maximus) (59%) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) (32%). The other wildlife species involved in conflict were bonnet macaque (Macaca radiata) (3.8%), leopard (Panthera pardus) (3.3%), Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) (0.47%), porcupine (Hystrix indica) (0.29%), Guar (Bos gaurus) (0.95%) and Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor)(0.29 %). On average, people took 13 days to claim compensation, which received decisions in 90 days. The majority of respondents (67%) were not satisfied with the compensation schemes. The main causes of such dissatisfaction were (a) allocation of insufficient money for the compensation (46.6%), (b) prolonged and difficult administrative procedures to make claims (20%), (c) people’s convictions that compensation scheme does not eradicate the conflict (20%) and (d) disbelief on the officials involved in compensation program (6.6%).Conservation implications: Our results suggest that compensation program has not gained acceptance among local community as an effective strategy to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Although it may reduce hostile attitude towards wildlife, alternative approaches are urgently needed that avoid conflicts.

Nesting and feeding habits of Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Karlapat wildlife sanctuary, India

espanolLa ardilla gigante hindu (Ratufa indica) es una de las cuatro especies de ardilla gigante del mundo. Se trata de una especie endemica de la India, pero sus poblaciones se encuentran muy fragmentadas. La ecologia de las ardillas en Asia se ha estudiado poco, lo que ha entorpecido los esfuerzos de conservacion y de gestion. Se estudiaron los habitos de nidificacion y alimentacion de la ardilla gigante hindu durante la primavera en el refugio de vida silvestre de Karpalat, en la India. Se inspeccionaron 122,5 km de senderos naturales para la observacion directa de estas ardillas, sus nidos e indicios de alimentacion, y se muestrearon varios cuadrantes para evaluar la disponibilidad de recursos. Para analizar los datos sobre preferencias, se emplearon los indices de la funcion de seleccion de recursos de Manly y del logaritmo de la prueba de razon de verosimilitud. El promedio del indice de encuentros de la ardilla gigante hindu fue de 0,57 (± 0,18 DE) individuos/km. Haldinia cordifolia (Wi = 4,899; p EnglishThe Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) is one of four species of giant squirrels in the world. It is endemic to India and its populations are severely fragmented. The ecology of squirrels in Asia has been little studied, hindering conservation and management efforts. We studied the Indian giant squirrel’s nesting and feeding habits during spring in the Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, India. We surveyed 122.5 km of natural trails for direct observation of these squirrels, their nests and feeding evidence, and we sampled plot–based quadrats to assess the availability of resources. We used Manly’s resource selection function and log–likelihood test ratios to analyse the data for preference. The mean encounter rate of the Indian giant squirrel was 0.57 (± 0.18 SD) individuals/km. Haldinia cordifolia (Wi = 4.899, p Nest site preference was for taller tree species. As current management practices directly damage the preferred nesting sites and food resources, our findings aim to promote effective conservation of the Indian giant squirrel.

Karyotype of the Indian Giant Squirrel ( Ratufa indica )

The Indian Giant squirrel syn. Malabar giant squirrel ( Ratufa indica ) is an uppercanopy dwelling mammal, endemic to southwestern, central and eastern peninsular India, found specifically in the Western Ghats, Satpuras and Eastern Ghats. It is seen at elevations of 180- 2300 m and is widely distributed. The species has been classified under the Class, Mammalia; Order, Rodentia; Suborder, Sciuromorpha; family, Sciuridae; subfamily, Ratufinae; Genus, Ratufa and species Ratufa indica .

Population Density, Diurnal Activity Pattern and Food Preference of Indian Giant SquirrelRatufa indicain Similipal Tiger Reserve, Eastern India

The Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) is a large arboreal tropical squirrel endemic to India and lives in undulating or hilly terrain (Prater 1980). The species is distributed in all Indian states south of Madhya Pradesh, currently listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List and believed that the species is declining due to logging and habitat fragmentation (Rajamani et al. 2010). Despite its wide distribution in India, the species has received very little scientific attention. Ramachandran (1988) and Borges (1989, 1992, 1993) provided the in­ formation on behavior and the foraging ecology of the species in southern India. Datta (1993) and Datta and Goyal (1996) investigated the space use pattern of the Indian giant squirrel in relation to food availability in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India. Since last decade, there have been some studies on its population and behavioral ecology in India. Kumara and Singh (2006) assessed the distribution and relative abundance of Indian giant squirrel in Karnataka, southern India. Jathana et al. (2008) estimated the density of Indian giant squirrel using distance sampling in south India. Sim­ ilarly, Srinivas et al. (2008) estimated the site occupancy rate in Kalakad­Munduthurai Tiger Reserve, southern India. In central India, Kanoje (2008) investigated the nesting ecology of Indian giant squirrel in Sitanadi Wild­ life Sanctuary, Chhatisgarh. Most recently, there are a few studies on its population distribution, ecology and behavior (Baskaran et al. 2011; Gurjar et al. 2013). Site specific published data on population density, food and feeding, activity pattern, and their implications are essen­ tial for conservation planning of any wildlife animals and species like Indian giant squirrel which is highly sensitive to human disturbance (Rajamani et al. 2010). Nevertheless, the vital data are still lacking for most ranges of Indian giant squirrel, and specifically in east­ ern India ranges. This study comprehensively documents the population density, activity pattern and diet of free­ ranging Indian giant squirrel in the tropical forest of Similipal Tiger Reserve, eastern India.

Feeding and nesting ecology of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica (erxleben,1777) in Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary, Balasore, Odisha, India and its conservation.

The Indian Giant Squirrel (IGS) Ratufa indica, an endemic species to India is widely distributed in the peninsular India from the ever green to mixed moist and dry deciduous forest of Western and Eastern Ghats and central Indian Hills. We studied its activity pattern, feeding and nesting behavior in the selected sites of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary during 2008-2012. A total of 8640 minutes of observation spent using Focal Animal Sampling Method to study activity budget, feeding and nesting patterns of IGS reveals that the animal spends maximum time in feeding (58%) followed by resting (34%), movement (6.8%) and other activity (1.2%) of its daily activity. The diet of IGS constitutes seed, bark, petiole, leaf, flower and fruit from 23 species of plants belonging to 15 families with Terminalia tomentosa as the most significant contributor i.e20.04% to the diet of the animal followed by Tamarindus indica (17.1%) and Mangifera indica (13.1%) . Seeds formed the highest bulk of the IGH diet i.e. 29.4% followed by leaf (18.2%), flower (12.8%), fruit (11.7%) and bark (11.3%). Nesting characteristics assessed through 44 nests shows that IGS uses 15 species of plant belonging to 14 families with highest preference to Shorea robusta (20%) followed by Schleicheria oleosa (17.5%) and Terminalia tomentosa (15.0%). Nest trees are taller in height, larger in GBH and canopy contiguity which are attributed to easy movement and better protection and escape from predators like Langur and Rhesus monkey. Habitat restoration, reduction in anthropogenic pressure and systematic scientific research are measures suggested for management and sustainable conservation of Indian Giant Squirrel in the study area.

Dietary Partitioning in Sympatric Large Carnivores in a Tropical Forest of Western Ghats, India

Abstract. We investigated dietary partitioning among tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus and dhole Cuon alpinus in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India between January 2008 and April 2010 based on scat analyses and prey surveys. Scat analysis revealed that though the diet of the three predators consisted of 15 to 21 prey species, wild ungulates formed a major portion of their diet (88.4 to 96.7%). The three predators exhibited high diet overlap (> 61%). Prey availability, estimated from an effort of 473 km of line transects (n = 33) revealed high density of chital Axis axis (43.8 ± 10.7 (mean ± SE) individuals/km2), followed by langur Semnopithecus entellus (31.0 ± 3.8), gaur Bos gaurus (6.7 ± 1.5), giant squirrel Ratufa indica (6.4 ± 1.3), sambar Rusa unicolor (4.9 ± 0.96) and elephant Elephas maximus (4.9 ± 0.75). Mean biomass (kg/km2) of chital, gaur and sambar was 2058.6, 3015 and 656.6 respectively. In terms of biomass, tiger consumed mostly large sized prey (> 50 kg). Although leopard and dhole...

Some aspects of the ecology of the Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica (Erxleben, 1777) in the tropical forests of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India and their conservation implications

The Indian Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica, an endemic species to India, is widely distributed from the evergreen to moist and dry deciduous forests of Western and Eastern Ghats and the central Indian hills. We studied its population distribution, activity, feeding, ranging and nesting behaviour across three major habitats in the tropical forests of Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, southern India, during 1998-2000 to manage the species effectively. Extensive survey of the three major habitats—tropical moist, dry deciduous and dry thorn—in the sanctuary shows that its distribution is continuous in moist and dry deciduous forests with good canopy contiguity and patchy along riverine areas in dry thorn and dry deciduous forests with sparse trees and broken canopy. Density estimates using 55 direct sightings from 199 km line transects show a mean of 2.9 (plus or minus 0.313) squirrels/km2. Daylight activity and feeding patterns assessed through 24,098 minutes of focal sampling reveal that animals feed and rest equal amounts of time. The diet constitutes seeds, bark, petioles, leaves and fruits from 25 plants, with Tectona grandis as the principal food source (41%). Its home range size varied from 0.8-1.7 ha with a mean of 1.3ha. Nesting characteristics assessed through 83 nests surveyed along 54km transects showed that the squirrel uses 15 of the 33 tree species found, with higher preference to Schleichera oleosa and Mangifera indica. Nest trees are significantly larger in height, gbh and canopy contiguity than nearest non-nest trees, which are attributed to better protection and escape from predators. Maintenance of diverse natural habitats and reduction in anthropogenic pressure are measures suggested for the conservation of giant squirrel populations in the study area.