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20164
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Subject: Wildlife Studies × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2011 ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    PREVALENCE OF ENDOPARASITE AND PREY PREFERENCE OF TIGER (Panthera tigris tigris) IN WAYANAD WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
    (Kerala Veterinary and animal science university, Pookode, 2016-05-12) Arjun, M S; Arun Zachariah
    Studies on gastro-intestinal parasitic diversity and prey preference of tigers in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, were conducted from April to September 2015. Coprological analysis of scat samples was carried out to identify the gastro-intestinal parasitic diversity and diet composition in the tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population. A total of 46 scat samples (76.6%) analyzed were found to be positive for endoparasites. Scat analysis for parasitic diversity was carried out by sedimentation method. Gastro-intestinal parasitic analysis revealed the presence of parasites belonging to seven different genera. Diphyllobothrium latum (33 nos.) was the most commonly recorded parasite followed by Paragonimus westermani (25), Taenia sp. (6) Strongyle sp. (4), Trichuris sp. (2), Toxocara sp. (2) and Nematode larvae (2). Although the gastro-intestinal parasitic diversity is less compared to similar studies from other tiger habitats, the number of individuals infected was considerably high. Hair samples of known animals were collected and studied for cuticular and medullary structures. This was used as reference while analyzing the hair from scat samples. A total of 60 scats were analyzed. The tigers in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary were found to be feeding on five prey species. Sambar was the most predominant prey, featuring in 29 of the 60 scat samples (48.33%) followed by Gaur (21.66%), Chital (20%) and Wild Boar (5%). The data revealed that tigers in WWS prefer larger ungulates (i.e. Gaur and Sambar) to smaller prey species such as Wild Boar, Chital and Barking Deer.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT HABITATS ON OCCURRENCE OF ASIAN SMALL-CLAWED OTTER (Aonyx cinerea. Illeger, 1815) IN WAYANAD, KERALA, INDIA
    (Kerala Veterinary and animal science university, Pookode, 2016-05-12) Ajisha, S; George Chandy
    Aonyx cinerea is a threatened mammal belongs to Mustelidae family, largely due to adverse anthropogenic activities such as sand mining, poaching, misuse of pesticides in agriculture, habitat loss and conversion of natural forest to plantations. In the present study mainly focuses the occurrence of this species in different habitat, which are adjacent to forest areas and hence the occurrence of several large mammals and other invertebrates reside in these plantations. Field sampling was carried out from January to May 2015, which was the driest period of the year and considered an ideal time for sampling otters. The South Wayanad division was divided into four sectors based on location and habitat types namely forests, coffee plantations, tea plantations and paddy fields. Equal number of transects were allotted to each vegetation (ten transects in each vegetation). In each habitat type, samplings for indirect and direct evidence of otter occupancy was carried out along a 500 m transect which was further divided into twenty 25 meter sub-sections. For each 25 meter subsection, habitat variables were recorded. In this study 140 signs including direct and indirect signs were recorded from 40 segments that were surveyed. Otter spraint abundance were identified from 34 segments (85 per cent occurrence) while the rest of the segments were considered as non-otter sites. One way ANOVA between encounter rates in different habitats showed that there is a significant difference in encounter rates between the different habitats (p value 0.0004583; F= 7.6099). Correlation between encountered rates of spraints in tea plantation showed that there is a significant difference between shoreline vegetation width and species occurrence. In this study, it is revealed that the distance of human modification was more, which helped to decrease the negative effects of human induced disturbances.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    COMPARISON OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF REPTILES BETWEEN A FOREST FRAGMENT AND AN INTACT FOREST
    (Kerala Veterinary and animal science university, Pookode, 2016-05-12) Anuraj R Kaimal; George Chandy
    The present study compared the community structure of reptiles in a forest fragment to that of a continuous forest. The study was carried out in the Vythiri section of South Wayanad Forest Division from June second week to September second week 2015. Diurnal quadrats, transects and time constrained searches were carried out to describe the species assemblage. In total 80 person hours was spend in the continuous forest and 70 person hours was spend in the forest fragment for sampling. Species accumulation curves were plotted and diversity indices were evaluated for both sites. Eight species and forty nine individuals were sampled from the continuous forest while from the fragment merely three individuals belonging to two species were found. Eutropis macularia (n = 18) was the most abundant species in the forest followed by Calotes ellioti (n = 9). Cnemaspis aff. monticola was the only shared species in the forest and forest fragment from quadrats and transects. Twelve different habitat variables were measured from the sampling sites and five of the variables differed significantly with respect to the study sites. Correlation analysis revealed that canopy cover (-0.44) has a negative correlation and leaf litter depth (0.41) have a positive correlation with abundance of reptiles in the forest. None of the habitat variables correlated with abundance in the fragment. The long isolation, small area and edge effects might have resulted in the local extinction of many of the herpetofauna in the fragment.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    A STUDY ON MICROHABITAT SELECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BICOLOURED FROG (Clinotarsus curtipes. Jerdon, 1854) TADPOLE WITHIN A HILL STREAM WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO RIVER CONTINUUM CONCEPT
    (2016-07-29) Haritha, S; Abdul Azeez, C P
    The microhabitat selection of C. curtipes within hill streams was carried out in streamlets of Chennaykavala and Sugandhagiri which flow through the vested forests of Wayanad District. The study was carried out from April 2015 to May 2016. The hypothesis that the distribution of C. curtipes within hill stream depends on stream ecology and river continuum concept was tested. Ecological factors in the region of the stream where the tadpoles were present was compared with that of the region where tadpoles were absent. The Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyze the association of presence of tadpole with stream type, vegetation type, canopy cover, embededdness, physical and chemical parameters of water. Analysis was done using the statistical software package SPSS version 20. The microhabitat selection was showed to be influenced by stream ecology and riparian vegetation type. As the vested forests of Wayanad were under human disturbance, the study showed deviation from River continuum concept.