Understanding the distribution of wildlife species and their response to diverse anthropogenic pressures is important for conservation planning and management of wildlife space in human-dominated landscapes. Assessments of anthropogenic impacts on mammals of the Indian Himalayan Region have mostly been limited to locations inside protected areas. We studied the occurrence of mammals in an unexplored landscape, the 7,586 km2 Bhagirathi basin, at an altitude of 500–5,200 m. The basin encompasses wilderness areas of various habitat types and protection status that are exposed to a range of anthropogenic pressures. Camera trapping at 209 locations during October 2015–September 2017 confirmed the occurrence of 39 species of mammals, nine of which are categorized as threatened (four Vulnerable, five Endangered) and four as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. We recorded five mammal species that were hitherto undocumented in Uttarakhand State: the argali Ovis ammon, Tibetan sand fox Vulpes ferrilata, woolly hare Lepus oiostolus, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and woolly flying squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus. In addition, we recorded two Endangered species, the dhole Cuon alpinus and tiger Panthera tigris. Threatened species such as the sambar Rusa unicolor, common leopard Panthera pardus and Asiatic black bear Ursus thibetanus occur in a wide variety of habitats despite anthropogenic disturbance. We recorded the snow leopard Panthera uncia in areas with high livestock density but temporally segregated from human activities. The musk deer Moschus spp. and Himalayan brown bear Ursus arctos isabellinus were recorded in subalpine habitats and appeared to be less affected by human and livestock presence. Our findings highlight the potential of the Bhagirathi basin as a stronghold for conservation of several threatened and rare mammal species.
Camera trap photographs of solitary individuals of Asiatic wild dog or dholes (Cuon alpinus, Pallas 1811) have been recorded from Kheda Tal area in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. This is the first photographic confirmation of the presence of this species in the Himalayan habitats of Uttarakhand. The presence of dholes here seems to be confined to a relatively small area of unprotected habitats affected by various anthropogenic uses. The population of endangered dhole is rapidly declining especially in Himalayan region. Thus, it is imperative that local stakeholders are aware of their presence, and it is highly recommended that investigations of the ecological parameters of this population are continued.
The aim of the present study was to characterize the patterns of gastropod shell utilization by the hermit crab Clibanarius zebra (Dana, 1852) from four different sites along the Saurashtra coast, Gujarat state, India. A total of 404 individuals of hermit crab were captured (223 males, 147 females and 34 ovigerous females), occupying 22 species of gastropod shells. Maximum species diversity of shells occupied by the crab was observed at Veraval. Amongst all the shell species identified, Cerithium scabridum (36.88 %) was highly occupied by the crab species followed by Astra stellata (11.39 %), Turbo intercostalis (10.64 %), Cerithidia cingulata (9.16 %) and Lunella coronata (7.43 %). Males of C. zebra utilized a wide range of shell species (21 species), while non ovigerous females (13 species) and ovigerous females (7 species) use a specific set of gastropod shell species. The density of live common shell species occupied by C. zebra was also calculated and results revealed that the density of C. scabridum was very high in the intertidal zone compared to other gastropods. This indicates that density of shells may influence the utilization of shells by C. Zebra.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.