OPEN ACCESS The Journal of Threatened Taxa is dedicated to building evidence for conservaton globally by publishing peer-reviewed artcles online every month at a reasonably rapid rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org. All artcles published in JoTT are registered under Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License unless otherwise mentoned. JoTT allows unrestricted use of artcles in any medium, reproducton, and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton. Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Short Communication On the diversity of the vertebrate fauna (excluding fishes) of Panchet Hill (Garh Panchkot), Purulia, West Bengal, India Sanjib Chatopadhyay, Somenath Dey & Utpal Singha Roy 26 December 2018 | Vol. 10 | No. 15 | Pages: 12979–12985 10.11609/jot.4102.10.15.12979-12985 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies and Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints contact <[email protected]> Publisher & Host Partners Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2018 | 10(15): 12979–12985 On the diversity of the vertebrate fauna (excluding fishes) of Panchet Hill (Garh Panchkot), Purulia, West Bengal, India 1 2 3 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) Sanjib Chatopadhyay , Somenath Dey & Utpal Singha Roy Communication Short ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 1 Panchakot Mahavidyalaya, Sarbari, Neturia, Purulia, West Bengal 723121, India 2 P.G. Department of Zoology, Darjeeling Government College, 19, Lebong Cart Road, Darjeeling, OPEN ACCESS West Bengal 734101, India 3 Department of Zoology, Durgapur Government College, J.N. Avenue, Durgapur, Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal 713214, India 1 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] (corresponding author) Abstract: The present study was conducted at Panchet Hill (Garh Over geological tme scale biodiversity has followed Panchkot), Purulia, West Bengal between June 2013 and May 2015. the trend towards net increase; however, a marked Multple methods were used for making a consolidated checklist and comments on the relatve abundance of vertebrate diversity, excluding decline in global biodiversity occurred during the late fshes. The methods included hand capturing, extensive searches in Quaternary period as a consequence of both direct micro habitats, opportunistc spotng and informaton collecton from the local people. A total of 106 diferent vertebrate species were and indirect human actvites (Gaston & Spicer 2004). recorded during the study span of two years. Aves was recorded as Hughes et al. (1997) reported that in tropical forests the Class with the highest diversity (63 species) while Amphibia was on an average 1,800 populatons are being destroyed recorded as the Class with the lowest diversity (9 species). Most of the species recorded during the present study belong to ‘Least Concern’ per hour while 16 million annually. An ever-increasing category as designated by IUCN. The Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis human populaton with huge demands on the natural melanocephalus and Striped Hyaena Hyaena hyaena belong to resources have imposed a worldwide burden and ‘Near Threatened’ category while the White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis belongs to ‘Critcally Endangered’ category. The present consequently have depleted biological diversity. India study locaton is facing pressures from the usual anthropogenic with a burgeoning human populaton is no excepton interventons and needs atenton from the concerned authorites. in this regard (Marcot & Nyberg 2005). Despite the Keywords: Amphibia, aves, biodiversity, Garh Panchkot, mammalia, tremendous pressure over the natural resources, India Panchet Hill, Purulia, reptlia, vertebrates. which covers about 2.4% of the world’s land area, harbours about 8% of the world’s total species (UNEP 2001). The rich traditon and culture of India since ancient tmes have set high values to protect its sacred DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.4102.10.15.12979-12985 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:57FFC118-0D59-4450-9D4B-052061CAFBC1 Editor: L.A.K. Singh, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Date of publicaton: 26 December 2018 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 4102 | Received 02 March 2018 | Final received 22 November 2018 | Finally accepted 04 December 2018 Citaton: Chatopadhyay, S,. S. Dey & U.S. Roy (2018). On the diversity of the vertebrate fauna (excluding fshes) of Panchet Hill (Garh Panchkot), Purulia, West Bengal, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(15): 12979–12985; htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.4102.10.15.12979-12985 Copyright: © Chatopadhyay et al. 2018. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this artcle in any medium, repro- ducton and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton. Funding: University Grants Commission (Minor Research Project, Sancton No. PSW–119/13–14, ERO ID No. SKB–005, Dated: 18 March 2014), New Delhi, India. Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Acknowledgements: This work was a part of a minor research project and the authors thankfully acknowledge the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India for providing the necessary funds. The authors are thankful to the local inhabitants of the village adjacent to Panchet Hill for their immense and unconditonal help and cooperaton. The authors thankfully acknowledge the help and cooperaton extended by the Director of Public Instructon, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata. Dr. Somenath Dey is thankful to Dr. P.C. Lama, Ofcer-in-Charge, Darjeeling Government College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India while Dr. Utpal Singha Roy is thankful to Dr. P. Pramanik, Principal, Durgapur Government College, West Bengal for their keen interest in the present work. The authors thankfully acknowledge the help and support provided by the District Forest Ofcer, Panchet - I Division, Purulia. 12979 Vertebrate fauna of Panchet Hill, West Bengal Chatopadhyay et al. biota (Bhagwat et al. 2005). Currently, India has about was the primary motvaton behind the present work 21.34% of its geographical area classifed as forest which with the objectve of enlistng all the vertebrate fauna, includes 764 protected areas covering about 4.93% of excluding fshes, from Panchet Hill protected forest. the total land area (WII ENVIS 2017). As of 2015 West Bengal has 18.96% of the state’s Materials and Methods geographical area designated as forest of which 59.4% Study area: Panchet Hill (23.60N & 86.70E) is a hillock has been classifed as reserve forest (WBFD 2017). with an elevaton of about 650m, and of hard rock Panchet Hill (Garh Panchkot) in West Bengal is a present amidst undulatng topography of laterite, gravel protected forest located at Raghunathpur sub–division mixed red soil of district Purulia, West Bengal (Mandal of Purulia District, with the highest elevaton of about 2012). The Damodar River marks the northern boundary 650m (Fig. 1). Few research artcles are published from of this region while Panchet Dam is located adjacent to this area including those of Raha & Mallick (2016) and it (Fig. 1). Prevailing environmental conditons of this recent report on “biodiversity conservaton plan of region are extreme where summer temperature rises Panchet hill (Garh Panchkot)” by EMTRC (2016). Over up to 400C while in winter the temperature drops down the last few decades, a large number of studies have to 70C. Annual average rainfall measures about 170cm. enlisted the diversity and distributon of vertebrate According to the biogeographic zone given by Rodgers taxa from diferent protected areas of the country. To et al. (2002) Panchet hill lies in the bio-geographic zone the best of our knowledge, however, no such studies 6 (Deccan Peninsula). The vegetaton of the present have ever been done/ reported from Panchet Hill. This study locaton is dominated by Butea monosperma Figure 1. Map showing the study site under present investgaton from Panchet hill (Garh Panchkot) of Purulia District, West Bengal, India. (Satellite image source Google Map; Panchet Hill © Utpal Singha Roy). 12980 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2018 | 10(15): 12979–12985 Vertebrate fauna of Panchet Hill, West Bengal Chatopadhyay et al. and Borassus fabellifer. The dominant shrubs species while Bhupathy et al. (2012) reported 34 amphibian include Ricinus communis, Zyzypus sp., Ipomea sp. and species, 72 reptlian species, 160 bird species and 39 Calotropis procera while dominant herb species includes mammalian species during their three year long study Euphorbia hirta, Cyperus rotundus and Solanum nigrum. (2006–2009) from Megamalai landscape, Western Diferent grasses are also commonly found in this Ghats, India. Several researchers around the globe have area which include Cynodon dactylon, Dactyloctenium emphasised the negatve infuence of anthropogenic aegyptcum, Pannicum antdotale and Saccharum interventon on the structure, dynamics and functoning spontaneum EMTRC (2016). This luxurious vegetaton of of the forest reserve (Martnez-Ramos et al. 2016). The Panchet Hill protected forest was predicted to support vegetaton present in Panchet Hill is