Photographic documentation of Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni in Maharashtra, India, north of its known range
H. S. BHOSALE1 2 and R. BARDAPURKAR3
Abstract , G. A. PUNJABI Paradoxurus jerdoni is a small carnivore endemic to the Western Ghats, India. It occurs throughout the south- ern Western Ghats, from Achankovil Reserved Forest (Kerala) to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa), but until now wasBrown not Palm recorded Civet in the northern Western Ghats, north of the state of Goa. Two records from the state of Maharashtra extend its known range north by about 200 km: a photograph near Amboli, and a sighting even further north in Chandoli National Park. The forest of Amboli is structurally connected to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, but connectivity with Chandoli KeywordsNational Park is now severely limited for this forest-dwelling small carnivore (see p. 39 for a record from 75 km further north).
: Amboli, Chandoli National Park, extension of known range, northernmost records
Paradoxurus jerdoni is a small carnivore and moist deciduous forest, intermixed with some evergreen endemic to the Western Ghats of India, distributed almost forest patches. Dominant trees include Memecylon umbella- continuouslyBrown Palm from Civet Achankovil Reserved Forest, Kerala, in the tum, Actinodaphne, Syzygium cumini, Mangifera indica, Notha- south, to Dhud Sagar, Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, podytes nimmoniana and Ficus; moist deciduous forests merge Goa, in the north (Rajamani et al. 2002). Most records are at into semi-evergreen and scrub forests along an altitudinal
similar, dominated by the Memecylon–Syzigium–Olea range,altitudes the of population 500–1,300 of m, the and species it is reportedly seems to more be under common no se in- seriesgradient (Kanade (Jog 2009). et al. 2008). Vegetation in Chandoli National Park is higher altitudes (Mudappa 1998). Despite itsThe relatively IUCN Red small list floristic- of Threatened Species ′38.00″ ′ ″E, vere threat, so it is listed as Least Concern in A Brown Palm Civet was sighted by GAP in Chandoli Na (Mudappa & Choudhury 2008). - wastional not Park photographed. in December The2010 animal (17°08 was seenN, clearly73°43 29.27for over cies, Brownas well Palmas on Civetfour non-native is largely arboreal,plant species nocturnal (Mudappa and twodatum minutes WGS 84;at a recorded distance ofapproximate less than ten elevation feet, foraging 818 m), on butthe etfrugivorous, al. 2010). feeding It supplements on over 50 its native diet withtree andinvertebrates liana fruit speand ground, near a stream during the night, in an evergreen patch et al. 2010). It is most commonly found in evergreen rainforest (Rajamani Viverricula indica Paradoxurus her- etsmaller al. 2002). vertebrates It has also (Pocock been 1939, reported Mudappa in coffee plantations maphroditusof forest. In pelage it differed distinctly from Small Indian Civet et al. et al. and Common′ ″ Palm Civet′ ″ - . On 7 January 2013, at around 22h30 on a trail fragments(Ryley 1913, contiguous Pocock 1939, with Ashrafcoffee plantations, 1993). than Mudappa in isolated tosighted Mahadev on a Gadhtree along (15°57 the59.87 road. ItN, was 73°59 photographed27.92 E, WGS84, and later re forest(2007) fragments. found occurrence Its distribution to be higher may in depend medium-sized more on forest the corded approximate elevation 749 m) at Amboli, a civet was structure of forests and fruit-tree distribution (Rajamani et al. around the head, neck, shoulder, and fore- and hind-legs (as 2002, Mudappa et al. notedidentified in Menon as a Brown 2003) Palm (Fig. Civet1). by the distinct darker pelage ′ ′E) is a popular hill town in the This animal, with its lighter underbelly and markings 2007, 2010) than other factors. ′N, along the face (Fig. 1), contrasts starkly with the more uni- Amboli′E) is located (15°57 atN, the 73°59 junction of four districts (Satara, San- formly dark brown typical in the southern Western Ghats. Sindhudurggli, Ratanagiri district, and Kolhapur); while Chandoli both are National in the Parkstate (17°10of Maha- This pattern in pelage colouration may be a regional variation rashtra.73°47 Vegetation around Amboli comprises semi-evergreen
in Brown Palm Civets of the northern Western Ghats. Another Small Carnivore Conservation
37 , Vol. 49: 37–39, December 2013 Bhosale et al.
Fig. 2. Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni photographed in Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India, in November 2011, with pelage colour similar to that in Fig. 1. (Photo:Harshal Bhosale).
tus, distribution and conservation needs in the northern West- ern Ghats remains limited.
Acknowledgements We thank the reviewers, especially R. Nandini, for comments useful in
his constant encouragement. We thank Zeeshan Mirza for reviewing aimproving version of the the manuscript. manuscript, We and are Akhila also thankfulParanjape, to VasundharaAnirudh Chaoji Krish for-
verynani, helpful Naresh in Chandak, editing the Nikita manuscript. Zankar andWe alsoGaurang acknowledge Gowande the for Maha their- contribution in the field. Devavrat Joshi and Sameer Hiremath were Fig. 1. Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni photographed in Amboli, rashtra State Forest Department for their cooperation. GAP wishes to Maharashtra, India, on 7 January 2013; a) showing frontal view, b) showing the lighter underbelly and markings on the face. (Photos: Harshal Bhosale). Referencesthank Vidya Athreya, Wildlife Conservation Society India, for support. photograph, taken by HSB viverrids of the Western Ghats, India. Oryx south of Amboli in Sharavathi Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka Ashraf, N. V. K., Kumar, A. & Johnsingh, A. J. T. 1993. Two endemicPhilo- ′ ″ ′12″ in November 2011, about 150 km- sophical Transactions of the Royal Society of27: London. 109–114. Series B, Bio- Caro,logical T. 2009. Sciences Contrasting coloration in terrestrial mammals. (14°5 48 N, 74°41 E, datum WGS 84, recorded approxi Sahyadris – flora and ethnobotany. University of Texas 2008),mate elevation shows a similar 278 m), pelage and near(Fig. 2). the This northern could be edge a form of the of (unpublished report), 364: 537–48. Tyler, Texas, U.S.A. species’s previously accepted range (Mudappa & Choudhury- Jog, S. K. 2009. est structure in the northern Western Ghats, but this is mere disruptivespeculation. colouration The forest (seetype Caro in Sharavathi 2009), perhaps is mostly based evergreen. on for Kanade,National R., Tadwalkar, Park, northern M., Kushalappa, Western Ghats, C. & Patwardhan,India. Current A. Science 2008. This sighting at a lower elevation supports the suggestion by Vegetation composition and woody species diversity at Chandoli Rajamani et al. (2002) that the civet’s distribution may not be Menon, V. 2003. A field guide to Indian mammals restricted to medium and high altitudes. 95:Penguin, 637–646. New Delhi, India. . Dorling Kindersley/ tropical forests (Mudappa et al. 2010). These records extend in the tropical rain forest of Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Re- the knownBrown distribution Palm Civet is about as an 200 important km further seed north disperser along in the its Mudappa,serve, D.India. 1998. Small Use Carnivore of camera-traps Conservation to survey small carnivores Western Ghats, into the state of Maharashtra. We are aware of Paradoxurus jer- no previous records of the species from the northern Western doni IUCN Red List of Threatened18: 9–11. Species. Version Mudappa, D. & Choudhury [as ‘Choudbury’], A. 2008. 2013.. In: IUCN 2012. Ghats, but photographs of Small Indian (four) and Common 2012.2.
, Vol. 49, December 2013 Brown Palm Civet, Maharashtra, India
Note added at proof stage: to the Western Ghats rainforest, India. Tropical Conservation Sci- ence in the Wai region of the northern Brown Western Palm CivetGhats was (approxi camera-- The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Bur- trapped on two separate′08″ nights (07′28 and″E). 12 Both December records 2013) were ma. Mammalia 3: 282–300. Pocock, R. I. 1939. of a single animal at the same camera-trap station (picture mate location: 18°01 N, 73°40 , 2nd edn, I. Taylor & Francis, London, U.K. below). The camera-traps were set by Shrikar Ashtaputre and - Sunil Kale with the help of Maharashtra State Forest Depart- Rajamani,dia. Small N., Mudappa, Carnivore D. Conservation & Van Rompaey, H. 2002. Distribution and status of the Brown Palm Civet in the Western Ghats, South In - 27: 6–11. dia. This extends the known range of the species by another Journal of the Bombay Natural His- ment and Vidya Athreya, Wildlife Conservation Society - In Ryley,tory K. V.Society 1913. Bombay Natural History Society’s Mammal Survey of India. Report No. 11. Coorg. 75 km further north of Chandoli Nation Park. 1165-B, 22: 486–513. Somwar Peth, Satara-415002, Maharashtra, India. Email: [email protected] 2Researchers for Wildlife Conservation, F-21, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vignyan Kendra, Bellary Road, Bengaluru-560065, India. 3Flat no. 3, Rajlaxmi Apartment, Prosperity society, plot no. 4/5, Karvenagar, Pune-411052, India.
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