Synchronised Counts of Vultures to Celebrate International Vulture

Synchronised counts of vultures to celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day Butterflies of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest Checklist of serpents in Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus Complex

Mammals of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality Distribution of Sikkim Caecilian in Nepal

First Record of King Cobra from Okhaldhunga and Sankhuwasabha districts

Predation of Common Tree Frog by Ornate Flying Snake 2 Editorial

The world is not the same as when we first called for articles for this issue. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by Inside this issue the recently discovered novel strain of coronavirus formally known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), has forced many countries into a complete 3 Synchronised counts of vultures to celebrate lockdown affecting every aspect of life. While most of us International Vulture Awareness Day in Nepal might be working from home and keeping ourselves K.P. Bhusal and D.B. Rana isolated, some are fighting this pandemic in the frontline. 7 Butterflies of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community To them, we express our sincere gratitude. Forest, Chitwan, Nepal So far, the general consensus is that the virus originated from a wet market of Wuhan, Hubei Province, R. Sedhain, D.R. Thanet, S. Bhattarai, R.R. Subedi and T.B. Gurung China as a result of wildlife trade. However, this is not new as spillover viral and bacterial infections from wildlife have 16 Checklist of serpents in Institute of Forestry, been known to occur in the past too. Take for example Hetauda Campus Complex, Makwanpur, Nepal Ebola, MERS, SARS and HIV which were viral infections A. Pradhan, S. Bajagain and R. Sedhain transferred from wildlife to humans. Although these were 20 Mammals of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality, all serious diseases, none had so grimly affected the world Gorkha in this way and in this scale. The world cannot ignore wildlife exploitation and A. Basnet, B.S. Bist and P. Ghimire trade anymore. Conservationists, scientists and health 24 Distribution of Sikkim Caecilian in Nepal workers from all around the globe are now pushing the world leaders and governments to ban wildlife trade K.B. Thapa and K.B. Shah completely and instantly. 28 First record of King Cobra from Okhaldhunga and This is a difficult time for everyone around the Sankhuwasabha districts, Eastern Nepal world. Even so, we cannot help see the silver lining. Air K. Devkota, B. KC and K.B. Shah pollution has dropped, global carbon emission is lower. Clips of wildlife invading cities are going viral. These all 31 Photos from the wild point to the possibilities of the future we can create. We C. Sherpa can tip the world to a better future that has clean air to 34 Predation of Common Tree Frog by Ornate Flying breathe, no climate worries and space for wildlife. Snake at Satchari National Park, Bangladesh At the end, we apologize for the delay. Being a small team of volunteers with full-time jobs has pushed our T. Ahmed, S. Hasan and H. Naher publication date once again. 36 Nature close to us We would like to thank the authors for their Saroj Khadka and Samundra Ghimerey articles and all the reviewers for their valuable time and expertise. Please practice social distancing, wash your hands DISCLAIMER: Views and opinions expressed in the articles are and stay safe. The world needs you. those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the editorial board or Friends of Nature. Email: [email protected]

Editors FRONT COVER PHOTO Impeyan pheasant by Bidhan Adhikary Nepal CHUNGBA SHERPA Jeevan Rai Nepal Mohammad Abidur Rahman Bangladesh Yadav Ghimirey Nepal Impeyan pheasant, known as Danphe in Nepali, is

Advisor the national bird of Nepal. This individual was photographed at Phortse, Sagarmatha National Raju Acharya Nepal Park.

Designer Bidhan Adhikary Nepal

BACK COVER PHOTO Mt. Everest by CHUNGBA SHERPA

3 Short Communication

Synchronised counts of vultures to celebrate International Vulture Awareness Day in Nepal

KRISHNA PRASAD BHUSAL1* and DEU BAHADUR RANA1 1Bird Conservation Nepal, Lazimpat, Kathmandu *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract In the 1990s, two species of Gyps vulture, bengalensis and Slender-billed Vulture (SBV) G. White-rumped and Slender-billed underwent catastrophic tenuirostris have undergone partial recoveries in Nepal population decline in Nepal. This triggered concerted between 2012/13 and 2018 based on their counts during conservation effort throughout the country. On the 11th nationwide road transect surveys (Galligan et al. 2019). International Vulture Awareness Day which was International Vulture Awareness Day, part of the celebrated across Nepal on 7th September 2019, for the broader conservation initiative, is celebrated on the first first time, vulture counts were simultaneously conducted Saturday of September since 2009. The event involves in 32 districts at their known occurrence sites. A total of various education, awareness and advocacy related 1,905 individuals of seven species were counted across activities for vulture conservation. In 2019, Bird Nepal. This survey is an important addition to our Conservation Nepal initiated an annual ‘Vulture Count’ understanding of vulture populations in Nepal and will throughout the country to provide a reference estimate serve as a reference for future counts. of all vulture species to compare future counts. These figures will be extremely important for future reference Keywords Count, Vulture, Vulture day, Vulture Safe to these species’ status as shown by the nationwide road Zone transect survey. Here we report the results of the first ______synchronised vulture count in Nepal carried out during International Vulture Awareness Day 2019. Introduction

Vultures are obligate scavengers of carrion, which depends on the carcasses of both domestic and wild animals for food. They have the potential to limit the spread of various diseases such as rabies (Markandya et al. 2008), and are revered by local communities as symbols of a clean environment (Bhusal et al. 2019). In the 1990s, the population of Gyps vulture underwent a catastrophic decline of over 99% across

South Asia (Prakash et al. 2017), including Nepal (Chaudhary et al. 2012). This decline was mostly due to unintentional poisoning by diclofenac (Oaks et al. 2004), a veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used to treat domestic ungulates since the ANKIT BILASH JOSHI 1990s. Nepal responded well by carrying out an extensive FIG. 1: Vulture flock feeding on a carcass in the bank of programme for vulture conservation including the ban in Narayani river. the manufacture, import and use of diclofenac in 2006 Methods (Bhusal 2018). This resulted in declaration of 70 districts covering 95% of the country as Diclofenac Free Zones Surveys were conducted by volunteers from local (DFZ). The Vulture Safe Zone (VSZ) concept, pioneered by conservation NGOs and communities. Surveyors counted Nepal, was an important step forward to vulture vultures at all known breeding, roosting and foraging sites conservation in the country. Furthermore, community- in 32 districts covering all three geographic regions of the managed safe feeding sites popularly known as vulture country, the Himalayas, mid-hills and Terai (lowlands). restaurants, and concerted advocacy and education Observation sites in each district varied between one and within local communities were equally important. The four based on previous knowledge of the nesting sites, Government of Nepal also readily endorsed the Vulture roosting sites and associated information on vulture Conservation Action Plan for the years 2009-2013 and movements in those districts. Most of the counts were 2015-2019 (DNPWC 2015) which helped to provide made on the International Vulture Awareness Day, 7th momentum to the vulture conservation activities already September 2019. Possibility of repeated counts was very initiated and ensured the continued success of vulture low considering the vultures were breeding and were conservation in the country. As a result, the two critically unlikely to travel far from their nesting sites. The counts endangered White-rumped Vulture (WRV) Gyps were carried out either between 08h00 – 11h00 or 15h00

– 17h00 for increased probability of sighting during that considered when comparing our estimates with other period. Observers used binoculars and/or spotting scopes counts. for proper identification of the vulture species. All nine The number of WRV and SBV recorded in this species of vultures found in Nepal - WRV, SBV, Indian study constituted about 50% and 75% of the total Vulture (IV) G. indicus, Himalayan Griffon (HG) G. estimated national populations of the respective species himalayensis, Eurasian Griffon (EG) G. fulvus, Red-headed from Nepal (Inskipp et al. 2016). The number of WRV and Vulture (RHV) Sarcogyps calvus, Cinereous Vulture (CV) SBV recorded during the event was far higher than the Aegypius monachus, Bearded Vulture (BV) Gypaetus number recorded during last year’s road transect surveys barbatus and Egyptian Vulture (EV) Neophron which was 100 and 4 respectively (Galligan et al. 2019). percnopterus were assessed. However, the numbers are hardly comparable due to the difference in methods used as well as difference in the time of carrying out the surveys. The count sites for this study were targeted to include known breeding, roosting and foraging sites, covering about 80% of the known range of these species, whereas the road transect surveys primarily recorded flying birds and may also include areas where vulture densities are low (Galligan et al. 2019). Purposeful selection of known sites might have contributed to our significantly higher counts.

FIG. 2: Map showing location of sites in 32 districts of Nepal where vultures were counted.

Results Of the nine vulture species known from Nepal, seven

species were recorded. Exceptions were Eurasian Griffon, a passage migrant, and Indian Vulture, a rare vagrant to Nepal. A total of 1905 individuals were counted across all sites (ANNEX 1), the most abundant species being WRV (n = 922). Vultures were recorded in all districts where the ANKIT BILASH JOSHI count was undertaken except from Banke, Bardia and FIG. 3: Counting vultures in the area of Vulture Safe Kathmandu. Kaski and Palpa accounted for the highest Feeding Site, Ghachok, Kaski. number of vulture species (n = 6 species) while the former recorded the highest number of individuals (n = This study provides valuable information of all 443). Kaski district also recorded the highest numbers of resident vulture species, to which similar future counts SBV (n = 13), RHV (n = 23) and EV (n = 339). The highest can be compared. This count can complement annual counts of WRV came from Dang district (n = 171), HG road-transect surveys in our understanding of Nepal’s from Arghakhanchi (n = 93), BV from three districts vulture populations. It can also be used as indirect Arghakhanchi, Jajarkot and Mustang (n = 6), and CV from evaluation tool to measure the efficacy of the Vulture Kanchanpur (n = 6). Safe Zone approach in the country. Although the current count only covered 32 districts, there is an opportunity to Discussion expand it in more districts from eastern Nepal and include cliff nesting vultures’ breeding sites from the mid- This was the first countrywide vulture count undertaken hills and the Himalayas. during International Vulture Awareness Day in Nepal. This date eased the mobilization of local communities and Acknowledgements volunteers. As we cannot assure equal expertise for the volunteers’ vulture counts, it allows the possibility of We are very grateful for the support of Bird Conservation difference in counts even when the local population Nepal for coordinating these vulture count surveys. might have been comparable. The date also coincided Sincere acknowledgement for all volunteers involved in with mostly active pre-breeding time for vultures. Hence, this synchronized vulture count in their respective areas. we expect our chances of vulture sighting to be Special thanks to all organisations and individuals who comparably higher than counts conducted in non- helped make the International Vulture Awareness Day a breeding seasons. These two choices should be success.

References Markandya, A., Taylor, T., Longo, A., Murty, M.N., Murty, S. and Dhavala, K. 2008. Counting the cost of vulture decline – An appraisal of the Bhusal, K.P. 2018. Vulture Safe Zone: a landscape level approach to save human health and other benefits of vultures in India. Ecological the threatened vultures in Nepal. The Himalayan Naturalist, 1, 25-26. Economics, 67, 194-204. Bhusal, K.P., Joshi, A.B., Chaudhary, I.P., Chaudhary, K.P., Nepali, B., Prakash, V., Bishwakarma, M.C., Chaudhary, A., Cuthbert, R., Dave, R., Dangaura, H.L. and Rana, D.B. 2019. Nepal ma Gidda Surakshit Kshetra Kulkarni, M., Kumar, S., Paudel, K., Ranade, S., Shringarpure, R. and (Vulture Safe Zone) Parichaya, Pragati ra Byawasthapan. Bird Green, R. 2012. The Population Decline of Gyps Vultures in India and Conservation Nepal. Nepal Has Slowed since Veterinary Use of Diclofenac was Banned. BirdLife International 2019. IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049118 fromhttp://www.birdlife.org on 12/10/2019. Oaks, J.L., Virani, M.Z., Rideout, B.A., Ahmed, S., Ali, A., Meteyer, C.U. Chaudhary, A., Subedi, T.R., Giri, J.B., Baral, H.S., Bidari, B., Subedi, H., and Ahmed Khan, A. 2004. Diclofenac residues as the cause of vulture Chaudhary, B., Chaudhary, I., Paudel, K. and Cuthbert, R.J. 2012. population decline in Pakistan. Nature, 427, 630– Population trends of Critically Endangered Gyps vultures in the lowlands 633.https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02317. of Nepal. Bird Conservation International, 22, 270-278. DNPWC 2015. Vulture Conservation Action Plan for Nepal 2015-2019. Biosketches Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of KRISHNA PRASAD BHUSAL has been working for Bird Forest and Soil Conservation, Government of Nepal, Kathmandu. Conservation Nepal as Vulture Conservation Programme Manager Galligan, T. H., Bhusal, K. P., Poudel, K., Chapagain, D., Joshi, A. B., for a decade. He has a keen interest in avian species conservation, especially large birds and raptors. Chaudhary, I. P., Chaudhary, A., Baral, H. S., Cuthbert, R. J., and Green, R. E. 2019. Partial recovery of Critically Endangered Gyps vulture DEU BAHADUR RANA works for Bird Conservation Nepal as a Field population on Nepal. Bird Conservation International,30, 87-102. Biologist. He is interested in wildlife (especially birds and mammals) research, conservation and habitat management. Inskipp, C., Baral, H.S., Phuyal, S., Bhatt, T.R., Khatiwada, M., Inskipp, T., Khatiwada, A., Gurung, S., Singh, P.B., Murray, L., Poudyal, L. and Amin, R. 2016. The status of Nepal’s Birds: the National Red List Series. Zoological Society of London.

ANNEX 1: Numbers of seven vulture species counted at known breeding, roosting and foraging sites in 32 districts of Nepal during the synchronised counts conducted to celebrate 11th International Vulture Awareness Day on 7th September 2019.

White-rumped Vulture (WRV), Slender-billed Vulture (SBV), Red-headed Vulture (RHV), Egyptian Vulture (EV), Himalayan Griffon (HG), Bearded Vulture (BV), Cinereous Vulture (CV), Indian Vulture (IV), and Eurasian Griffon (EG).

S.N. District Vulture Species WRV SBV RHV EV HG BV CV TOTAL 1 Arghakhanchi 49 0 6 14 93 6 0 168 2 Baglung 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 3 Baitadi 0 0 1 2 19 2 0 24 4 Banke 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Bardiya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Dang 171 7 3 7 0 0 3 191 7 Dolpa 0 0 0 0 35 3 0 38 8 Gulmi 5 0 0 8 12 2 0 27 9 Humla 0 0 0 4 8 2 0 14 10 Jajarkot 0 0 3 6 70 6 0 85 11 Jumla 0 0 0 0 22 2 0 24 12 Kailali 35 2 0 0 0 0 0 37 13 Kanchanpur 149 12 2 NA 10 0 6 179 14 Kapilvastu 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 6 15 Kaski 56 13 23 339 11 0 1 443 16 Kathmandu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17 Manang 0 0 0 0 14 0 0 14 18 Mugu 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 5 19 Mustang 0 0 0 0 13 6 0 19 20 Nawalpur 116 1 3 2 0 0 0 122 21 Palpa 79 3 4 8 11 2 0 107 22 Parasi 135 0 0 2 0 0 0 137 23 Parbat 0 0 0 0 6 1 0 7 24 Pyuthan 11 5 5 4 0 0 25 25 Rolpa 0 0 0 3 16 0 0 19 26 Rukum 0 0 0 3 6 0 0 9 27 Rupandehi 91 0 1 2 7 0 0 101 28 Salyan 0 0 3 3 3 1 0 10 29 Sunsari 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 30 Syangja 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 31 Tanahun 1 0 0 58 0 0 0 59 32 Taplejung 0 0 2 0 6 1 0 9 Total 922 38 62 468 369 36 10 1905

Butterflies of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan, Nepal

RAKSHANDA SEDHAIN1,2*, DOL RAJ THANET1, SANTOSH BHATTARAI3, RISHI RAM SUBEDI3 and TEK BAHADUR GURUNG4

1Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus, Nepal 2Division Forest Office, Dailekh, Karnali Province, Government of Nepal 3National Trust for Nature Conservation, Biodiversity Conservation Center, Chitwan, Nepal 4Bird Education Society, Chitwan, Nepal *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract We assessed the species richness of butterflies for wildlife tourism (KC et al. 2013). Through this study we in Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan, want to highlight the species richness of butterflies in the Nepal using Pollard walk and Checklist method. area and we believe that our findings in the form of Combining both methods, we recorded 72 species of annotated list will add eco-tourism assets for Baghmara butterflies in 58 genera belonging to 5 families. Among Buffer Zone Community Forest. them, the family Nymphalidae represented the highest number of species (n=32, 44.44%) followed by Pieridae Methods (n=13, 18.06%), Hesperiidae (n=12, 16.67%), Lycaenidae Study Area (n=11, 15.28%) and Papilionidae (n=4, 5.56%). Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest (BBZCF) lies in Keywords Butterflies, Checklist, Pollard walk, Richness the Buffer Zone of Chitwan National Park in Ratnanagar ______Municipality-7, Chitwan district of central lowland Nepal (FIG. 1). This forest covers an area of 215 hectares and is Introduction situated in the sub-tropical region at 170 m above sea level. The BBZCF which was previously degraded and used Butterflies are more popular, well documented, attractive as cattle grazing land was restored in 1989 by National and easy to observe compared to other insects (Mugendi Trust for Nature Conservation (the then King Mahendra and Kitili 2018). They have long served as a focal taxa to Trust for Nature Conservation) as part of community understand human induced impacts on biodiversity (Tam conservation initiative (Sharma et al. 2012). Initially, the and Bonebrake 2016), climate change (Parmesan et al. forest was restocked through plantation and later natural 1999; Sparks et al. 2005), habitat quality (Kocher and vegetation colonized it (Subedi 2018). The BBZCF is Williams 2000) and ecosystem functions (Kunte 2000). mainly dominated by riverine forest (Sharma et al. 2012). Nepal hosts remarkable species richness of The dominant tree species are Silk-cotton tree Bombax butterflies i.e. 660 species (Smith 2011; Tamang et al. ceiba, Rhino-apple Trewia nudiflora and Padke Albizia sp. 2019; Shrestha et al. 2020). The distribution of butterflies The forest and wetland together provides habitat for varies according to physiographic zones with 51% in Terai One-horned Rhino Rhinoceros unicornis, Spotted Deer and Siwalik zone, 88% in mid-hills and 13% in the Axis axis, Hog Deer Axis porcinus, Barking Deer Muntiacus highlands (Bhusal and Khanal 2008). However, research vaginalis, Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris, Gharial and conservation efforts of butterflies have not been Crocodile Gavialis gangeticus, many birds, amphibians, carried out for all Protected Area (PA) systems and even reptiles and butterflies (Tamrakar 2002; Sharma et al. less in their Buffer Zones. According to past research, the 2012). There are some patches of grasslands with major PAs of Nepal have been found to be rich in butterfly species of Cogongrass Imperata cylindrica, Wild diversity. For instance, 54 species have been documented Sugarcane Saccharum spontaneum, Goatweed Ageratum from Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (Khanal 2006), 44 conyzoides, Shiny Bush Peperoxia pellucida, Dubo species from Rara National Park (Suwal 2018), 30 species Cyanodon dactylon, and Silky Kangaroo Grass Themeda from Sagarmatha National Park (DNPWC 2019), 124 villosa (Pant 2003). The climate of the BBZCF is subspecies from Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park (SNNP tropical monsoon type with occasional flood (Tamrakar 2018) and 247 species in Chitwan National Park (Smith 2002). 1997). Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest lies in Data Collection the boundary of Chitwan National Park and has a combination of habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, The butterfly survey was conducted in March, 2019. We trees and bushes which is suitable for wildlife including recorded butterflies using both restricted comprehensive butterflies. Moreover, the easy access and close proximity search i.e. Pollard walk method (Pollard 1977) with some to Sauraha town makes it one of the popular destinations modifications and unrestricted search using checklist

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 7-15 Butterflies of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan, Nepal 8 method to confirm the presence/absence of butterflies Abundance (A) = Number of individuals of any species / (Royer et al. 1998). Number of transects in which the species occurred Frequency % (F) = 100 * (Number of transects in which species occurred / Total number of transects studied) Density per hectare (D) = 100000 * (Total number of individuals of a species / Area) The abundance status of butterfly species was assessed following (Tiple et al. 2006; Tiple 2012) and categorized following (Shrestha et al. 2018) as Very Rare (VR= individuals encountered <2); Rare (R= individuals encountered 3-10); Fairly Common (FC= individuals encountered 11-30) and Common (C= individuals encountered >30). For species richness, we pooled data from Pollard walk method and Checklist method separately and by combining the number of species from both methods, we got the total result which was treated as species richness for BBZCF. Results A total 1873 individuals were documented comprising 72 species of butterflies from 5 families and 58 genera (ANNEX 1). Of the 72 species, Pollard walk method recorded 55 species (with unique=7 species) while Checklist method recorded 65 species (with unique=17 species); 48 species records overlapped between these FIG. 1: Study area map showing Baghmara Buffer Zone two methods (FIG. 2). Community Forest. Purposive sampling followed by Pollard walk method was carried out. For this, we laid 59 transects (100 m each) along fixed travel routes covering existing habitats - forest and grassland. Thus, there were a total of 5900 m (100*59) of transect tracts. Each transect had a 48 minimum interval of 100 m and we counted butterflies within 5 m on either side of the travel route following Mukherjee et al. (2015). The survey was conducted between 09h00 to 15h00 during good weather conditions (no heavy rains or strong winds). Checklist method was used to record the FIG. 2: Method-wise distribution of butterflies in the maximum butterfly species in existing trails of BBZCF. This BBZCF. is an unrestricted search, therefore, we also recorded Among all butterfly species, the family species within the intervals of transects used in Pollard Nymphalidae was the most abundant (n=32 species) walk method (Royer et al. 1998). A butterfly net was used followed by Pieridae (n=13 species), Hesperiidae (n=12 to capture the butterflies. Each captured butterfly was species), Lycaenidae (n=11 species) and Papilionidae (n=4 identified and released in the site of capture. species) (FIG. 3). For butterfly identification in the field, we used 35 32 Smith (2011) and Kehimkar (2016). We used a digital 30 portal - Butterflies of India for species confirmation and nomenclature (Kunte et al. 2020). 25 20 Data analysis 13 15 12 11 We calculated species richness, abundance, frequency 10 4 and density of butterflies in BBZCF following Acharya and species of No. 5

Vijayan (2015) and Pathak and Gautam (2020). 0 Species richness (S) = Total number of species Hesperiidae Papilionidae Pieridae Lycaenidae Nymphalidae Family encountered FIG. 3: Family-wise species composition of butterflies in the BBZCF.

FIG . 4-18: (By row, from left to right) - 4. Common Map Cyrestis thyodamas, 5. Great Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina, 6. Dark Clouded Yellow Colias fieldii, 7. Malayan Catopsilia pyranthe, 8. Common Sailor Neptis hylas, 9. Common Sergeant Athyma perius, 10. Tawny Coaster Acraea violae, 11. Common Red Eye Matapa aria, 12. Common Onyx Horaga onyx, 13. Psyche Leptosia nina, 14. Great Mormon Papilio memnon, 15. Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe, 16. Common Pierrot Castalius rosimon, 17. Long Brand Bushbrown Mycalesis visala, and 18. Common Lascar Pantoporia hordonia (PC: Tek Bahadur Gurung).

Among all species, Common Four Ring Ypthima the most frequently observed species followed by huebneri (n=4) and Dark Grass Blue Zizeeria karsandra Common Four Ring Ypthima huebneri (45.76%), Common (n=4) were recorded as the most abundant species Crow Euploea core (42.37%) and Common Five Ring followed by Mottled Emigrant Catopsilia pyranthe (n=3) Ypthima baldus (40.68%). Common Four Ring Ypthima while Indian Cabbage White Pieris canidia (71.19%) was huebneri (D=19/ha) was recorded as the species with

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 7-15 Butterflies of Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan, Nepal 10 highest density followed by Indian Cabbage White Pieris Tamang et al. 2019) which shows higher species richness canidia and Dark Grass Blue Zizeeria karsandra (each with of butterflies in those area than our study site. It might be D=14.1/ha) (ANNEX 2). attributed to our smaller study area. Of 72 butterfly species, the family Nymphalidae had the highest 80 abundance which was similar to the results obtained by Tamang et al. (2019) in Eastern Nepal. This may be due to 70 their ecological adaptation (Sreekumar and Balkrishnan 60 2001), speciation and high dispersal capacity (Adler et al. 50 1996). Bhusal and Khanal (2008) and Tamang et al. (2019) also mentioned Nymphalidae as the dominant family in 40 the Eastern Nepal.

No. of species of No. 30 Common Four Ring Ypthima huebneri 20 represented the species with highest abundance which corresponds to similar abundance patterns of butterfly 10 seen by Yap et al. (2018) in Terengganu National Park, 0 Peninsular Malaysia. However, Khanal (2008) found the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 species uncommon in lowland districts of west Nepal and No. of days missing in the central part of Koshi Tappu Wildlife FIG. 19: Species accumulation curve in the BBZCF. Reserve in eastern Nepal (Khanal 2006). The BBZCF is a famous forest in Nepal for The abundance status of 19 species were ecotourism activities like elephant ride, canoeing, jungle categorized as Very Rare (VR), 28 species as Rare (R), 11 safari, jungle walk and wildlife tourism. The ecotourism species as Fairly Common (FC) and 14 species as Common activities are mainly focused for large mammals such as (C) (ANNEX 1). In other words, we found abundance Rhino, deer and birds. Results from our study will serve as status of 26% butterflies as VR, 39% as R, 15% FC and 20% a reference material to showcase butterflies species as C (FIG. 20). No assessment of butterfly status has been richness in the form of annotated checklist for BBZCF and carried out yet by IUCN (IUCN 2020). popularize butterfly also as an iconic taxa for ecotourism in Chitwan.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Chitwan National Park and 20% 26% Very Rare Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest for research permission and National Trust for Nature Conservation- Rare 15% Biodiversity Conservation Center (NTNC BCC), Chitwan for Fairly Common providing funding support. The authors would like to Common acknowledge the anonymous reviewer for constructive 39% comments. Many thanks to Mr. Aavas Pradhan for his Geographical Information System support and for his regular help and motivation throughout the study, Mr. Bimal Raj Shrestha and Mr. Sanej Prasad Suwal for FIG. 20: Abundance status of butterflies in the BBZCF. providing fruitful suggestions.

Discussion References Our study demonstrates that both Pollard walk method Adler, G.H. and Dudley, R. 1996. Biogeography of Milkweed of Milk and Checklist method recorded some unique species that butterflies Nymphalidae Danainae and mimetic patterns on patterns on tropical pacific archipelagos. Biological journal of the Linnean society, would have probably been missed if both methods were 57, 317-326. not used in parallel for species richness assessment. We Bhusal, D.R. and Khanal, B. 2008. Seasonal and altitudinal diversity of documented 10.9% of the total of all species of butterflies butterflies in Eastern Siwalik of Nepal. Journal of Natural History found in Nepal according to Smith (2011) and 29.1% Museum, 23, 82-87. butterflies of Chitwan National Park according to Smith DNPWC, 2019. Sagarmatha National Park [Brochure]. Kathmandu, (1997). Our results are based on a single season survey Nepal. for 10 days. The findings culminated with 72 species of IUCN 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-1. butterflies and species accumulation curve (FIG. 19) https://www.iucnredlist.org (Accessed on 7 April, 2020) shows that the number of species is likely to increase if KC, B., Kandel, P.N. and Adhikari, S. 2013. Economic valuation of the survey effort is increased. ecosystem services in protected areas: a case study from Nepal. Banko Janakari, 23, 42-50. The study conducted in lowlands of western Nepal (Dang, Banke, Bardia and Surkhet districts) and Kehimkar, I. 2016. Butterflies of India. Bombay Natural History Society. Mumbai. PP 528. eastern Nepal (Jhapa and Ilam districts) accounted for 85 and 133 species of butterflies respectively (Khanal 2006;

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Resource management in community forest: A case Mukherjee, S., Banerjee, S., Saha, G.K., Basu, P. and Aditya, G. 2015. study from Baghmara community forest of Bachhauli VDC, buffer zone Butterfly diversity in Kolkata, India: An appraisal for conservation of Royal Chitwan National Park. M Sc Thesis, Pokhara University, Nepal. management. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 8, 210-221. Tiple, A.D., Deshmukh, V.P. and Dennis, R.L.H. 2006. Factors influencing Pant, P. 2003. Fuelwood consumption pattern in low land Nepal: a case nectar plant resource visits by butterflies on a university campus: study in Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan, Nepal. M Sc implications for conservation. Nota Lepidopterologica, 28, 213-224. Thesis, Pokhara University, Nepal. Tiple, A.D. 2012. Butterfly species diversity, relative abundance and Parmesan, C., Ryrholm, N., Stefanescu, C., Hill, J.K., Thomas, C.D., status in Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Descimon, H., Huntley, B., Kaila, L., Kullberg, J., Tammaru, T., Tennant, J., Central India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 4, 2713-2717. Thomas, J.A., Warren, M.S. 1999. Polewards shifts in geographical Yap, G.C., Hafiz, S.M. and Chong, J.L. 2018. A Preliminary butterfly ranges of butterfly species associated with regional warming. Nature, (Lepidoptera) checklist of the Terengganu National Park, Peninsular 399, 579-583. Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal, 70, 67-70. Pathak, A. and Gautam, D. 2020. Status and Impact of Invasive Alien Plant Species in Jyamire Bufferzone Community Forest of Parsa National Biosketches Park, Nepal. International Journal of Forestry and Horticulture, 6, 39-46. RAKSHANDA SEDHAIN is a graduate from Institute of Forestry, Pollard, E. 1977. A method of assessing changes in the abundance of Hetauda, Nepal and currently works as an Assistant Forest Officer butterflies. Biological Conservation, 12, 115-134. at Division Forest Office, Dailekh, Nepal. She is involved in Royer, R.A., Austin, J.E. and Newton, W.E. 1998. Checklist and “Pollard research, conservation and awareness of butterflies as well as other wildlife. walk” butterfly survey methods on public lands. The American Midland Naturalist, 140, 358-372. DOL RAJ THANET is an Assistant Professor at Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Nepal. His interests lie in large Sharma, B.K., Chalise, M.K. and Solanki, G.S. 2012. Vegetation types and carnivores and their interactions with the environment, ecology of wildlife occurrence in Baghmara Buffer zone community forest. Gharial and restoration ecology of wildlife habitats in human- International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 2, 52-65. dominated landscapes. Shrestha, B.R., Sharma, M., Magar, K.T., Gaudel, P., Gurung, M.B. and SANTOSH BHATTARAI works for National Trust for Nature Oli, B. 2018. Diversity and status of butterflies at different sacred forests Conservation based at Biodiversity Conservation Center, Chitwan, Nepal. He is responsible for implementing conservation activities of Kathmandu valley, Nepal. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, in Chitwan-Parsa Complex. 6, 1348-1356. RISHI RAM SUBEDI works for National Trust for Nature Shrestha, B.R., Timsina, B., Münzbergová, Z., Dostálek, T., Gaudel, P., Conservation based at Biodiversity Conservation Center, Chitwan, Basnet, T.B. and Rokaya, M.B. 2020. Butterfly-plant interactions and Nepal. He is responsible for implementing conservation activities body size patterns along an elevational gradient in the Manang region of in Chitwan-Parsa Complex. central Nepal. Journal of Mountain Science, 17, 1-13. TEK BAHADUR GURUNG is a naturalist and ex-chairman of Bird Smith, C. 1997. Butterflies of Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Education Society, Sauraha, Chitwan. He is interested in butterflies and their host plants in Chitwan National Park. Tecpress books, PP 80. Smith, C. 2011. A Photographic Pocket Guide to Butterflies of Nepal: Natural Environment. Himalayan Map House Private Limited, PP 144. SNNP 2018. Mero Nikunja (Yearly Progress Report). Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park, Kathmandu, Nepal, 60.

ANNEX 1: Checklist of butterflies of the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan (VR = very rare, R = rare, FC = fairly common, C = common).

Survey methods used for recording butterflies: Pollard method, Checklist method, and Both.

S.N. FAMILY/COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME COUNT ABUNDANCE METHOD OF STATUS RECORD HESPERIIDAE 1 Bevan's Swift Borbo bevani (Moore) 9 R Both 2 Restricted Demon Notocrypta curvifascia (Felder and 1 VR Pollard Felder) 3 Little Branded Swift Pelopidas agna (Moore) 3 R Both 4 Dark Palm Dart Telicota ancilla bambusae (Moore) 2 VR Both 5 Common Red Eye Matapa aria (Moore) 4 R Checklist 6 Bush Hopper Ampittia dioscorides (Fabricius) 1 VR Checklist 7 Giant Red Eye Gangara thyrsis (Fabricius) 1 VR Checklist 8 Tree Flitter Hyarotis adrastus (Stoll) 2 VR Checklist 9 Small Paintbrush Swift Baoris chapmani (Evans) 1 VR Checklist 10 Yellow Spot Swift Polytremis eltola (Hewitson) 1 VR Checklist 11 Common Small Flat Sarangesa dasahara (Moore) 1 VR Checklist 12 Tiger Hopper Ochus subvittatus (Moore) 1 VR Checklist PAPILIONIDAE 13 Lime Papilio demoleus (Linnaeus) 5 R Both 14 Common Mormon Papilio polytes (Linnaeus) 49 C Both 15 Great Mormon Papilio memnon (Linnaeus) 7 R Both 16 Tailed Jay Graphium agamemnon (Linnaeus) 30 FC Both PIERIDAE 17 Great Orange Tip Hebomoia glaucippe (Linnaeus) 2 VR Pollard 18 Yellow Orange Tip Ixias pyrene (Linnaeus) 24 FC Both 19 Large Cabbage White Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) 2 VR Pollard 20 Indian Cabbage White Pieris canidia (Linnaeus) 165 C Both 21 Common Jezebel Delias eucharis (Drury) 1 VR Pollard 22 Pale Wanderer Pareronia avatar (Moore) 4 R Checklist 23 Lesser Gull Cepora nadina nadina (Lucas) 1 VR Checklist 24 Mottled Emigrant Catopsilia pyranthe (Linnaeus) 107 C Both 25 Three Spot Grass Yellow Eurema blanda (Boisduval) 41 C Both 26 Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe (Linnaeus) 18 FC Both 27 Dark Clouded Yellow Colias fieldii (Menetries) 3 R Both 28 Psyche Leptosia nina (Fabricius) 10 R Checklist 29 Common Emigrant Catopsilia pomona (Fabricius) 11 FC Checklist LYCAENIDAE 30 Malayan Megisba malaya thwaitesi (Moore) 15 FC Both 31 Common Cerulean Jamides celeno (Cramer) 9 R Both 32 Pea Blue Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus) 16 FC Both 33 Tiny Grass Blue Zizula hylax (Fabricius) 2 VR Both 34 Pale Grass Blue Pseudozizeeria maha (Kollar) 5 R Both 35 Dark Grass Blue Zizeeria karsandra (Moore) 143 C Both

36 Forget Me Not Catochrysops strabo (Fabricius) 31 C Both 37 Common Line Blue Prosotas nora (Felder) 3 R Both 38 Common Pierrot Castalius rosimon (Fabricius) 4 R Both 39 Common Onyx Horaga onyx (Moore) 2 VR Both 40 Dark Himalayan Oakblue Arhopala rama (Kollar) 1 VR Checklist NYMPHALIDAE 41 Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus (Linnaeus) 14 FC Both 42 Striped Tiger Danaus genutia (Cramer) 17 FC Both 43 Glassy Tiger Parantica aglea (Stoll) 5 R Both 44 Blue Tiger Tirumala limniace (Cramer) 3 R Both 45 Common Crow Euploea core (Cramer) 106 C Both 46 Nigger Orsotriaena medus (Fabricius) 153 C Both 47 Common Three Ring Ypthima asterope (Klug) 2 VR Pollard 48 Common Four Ring Ypthima huebneri (Kirby) 334 C Both 49 Common Five Ring Ypthima baldus (Fabricius) 77 C Both 50 Common Evening Brown Melanitis leda (Linnaeus) 10 R Both 51 Dark Evening Brown Melanitis phedima (Moore) 13 FC Both 52 Common Palmfly Elymnias hypermnestra undularis 16 FC Both (Drury) 53 Common Bushbrown Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius) 4 R Pollard 54 Long-brand Bushbrown Mycalesis visala (Moore) 5 R Checklist 55 Tawny Coaster Acraea violae (Fabricius) 6 R Both 56 Common Leopard Phalanta phalantha (Drury) 4 R Both 57 Vagrant Vagrans sinha (Kollar) 4 R Checklist 58 Common Sailor Neptis hylas (Linnaeus) 94 C Both 59 Common Sergeant Athyma perius (Linnaeus) 4 R Both 60 Common Lascar Pantoporia hordonia (Stoll) 22 FC Both 61 Commander Moduza procris (Cramer) 1 VR Checklist 62 Common Jester Symbrenthia lilaea (Hewitson) 3 R Pollard 63 Indian Red Admiral Vanessa indica (Herbst) 7 R Both 64 Peacock Pansy Junonia almana (Linnaeus) 105 C Both 65 Chocolate Pansy Junonia iphita (Cramer) 60 C Both 66 Grey Pansy Junonia atlites (Linnaeus) 35 C Both 67 Blue Pansy Junonia orithya (Linnaeus) 3 R Both 68 Lemon Pansy Junonia lemonias (Linnaeus) 10 R Both 69 Great Eggfly Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus) 7 R Both 70 Common Castor Ariadne merione (Cramer) 7 R Both 71 Common Map Cyrestis thyodamas (Boisduval) 3 R Both 72 Scarce Rajah Charaxes aristogiton (Felder & Felder) 1 VR Checklist

ANNEX 2: Abundance, frequency and density of butterflies recorded from Pollard Walk method.

S.N. COMMON NAME ABUNDANCE FREQUENCY (%) DENSITY (per hectare) 1 Common Lascar 2 5.08 1.0 2 Mottled Emigrant 3 28.81 9.7 3 Three Spot Grass Yellow 2 23.73 3.9 4 Malayan 1 8.47 1.0 5 Tailed Jay 2 13.56 2.4 6 Peacock Pansy 2 30.51 6.3 7 Common Four Ring 4 45.76 19.0 8 Common Indian Crow 2 42.37 6.9 9 Jungle Brown 2 38.98 6.9 10 Bevan’s Swift 1 8.47 1.0 11 Common Cerulean 1 8.47 0.8 12 Dark palm Dart 1 1.69 0.2 13 Common Sailor 1 30.51 4.4 14 Indian Cabbage White 2 71.19 14.1 15 Common Sergeant 1 3.39 0.3 16 Common Jezebel 1 1.69 0.2 17 Common Leopard 2 3.39 0.5 18 Great Mormon 1 5.08 0.5 19 Common Mormon 1 32.20 3.7 20 Pea Blue 2 5.08 1.2 21 Dark Evening Brown 1 8.47 0.8 22 Chocolate Pansy 2 18.64 3.1 23 Common Map 1 1.69 0.2 24 Tiny Grass Blue 1 1.69 0.2 25 Common Jester 1 5.08 0.5 26 Pale Grass Blue 2 3.39 0.5 27 Grey Pansy 1 6.78 0.7 28 Common Five Ring 2 40.68 8.3 29 Great Eggfly 2 3.39 0.5 30 Dark Clouded Yellow 1 1.69 0.2 31 Large Cabbage White 2 1.69 0.3 32 Common Bushbrown 1 5.08 0.7 33 Plain Tiger 1 5.08 0.7 34 Striped Tiger 1 11.86 1.4 35 Common Three Ring 1 3.39 0.3 36 Glassy Tiger 1 3.39 0.3 37 Blue Pansy 1 1.69 0.2 38 Dark Grass Blue 4 33.90 14.1 39 Common Evening Brown 1 1.69 0.2 40 Forget Me Not 2 5.08 1.2 41 Yellow Orange Tip 2 11.86 2.5 42 Lime 1 1.69 0.2 43 Lemon Pansy 1 8.47 1.0 44 Blue Tiger 1 1.69 0.2 45 Common Line Blue 1 1.69 0.2

46 Common Onyx 1 1.69 0.2 47 Little Branded Swift 1 1.69 0.2 48 Indian Red Admiral 2 5.08 0.8 49 Common Palmfly 2 1.69 0.3 50 Tawny Coaster 2 1.69 0.3 51 Common Castor 2 1.69 0.3 52 Common Pierrot 2 1.69 0.3 53 Great Orange Tip 1 3.39 0.3 54 Restricted Demon 1 1.69 0.2 55 Common Grass Yellow 2 13.56 2.0

Checklist of Serpents in Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus Complex, Makwanpur, Nepal

AAVAS PRADHAN1,2*, SANTOSH BAJAGAIN3 and RAKSHANDA SEDHAIN2,4

1School of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal 2Teka Samuha Nepal 3International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Nepal 4Division Forest Office, Dailekh, Karnali Province, Government of Nepal *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract We carried out a survey to document serpents Methods in Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus Complex, Study Area Makwanpur, Nepal. Data was collected using visual encounter surveys via transect walk and opportunistic The study was carried out in the entire premises of IOF visits. Surveys were conducted during day and night at Hetauda Campus complex (campus forest, grassland, intervals of 15 days from May to October, 2018. We hostels, administration buildings, and staff quarters) as documented the presence of 11 species from four well as surrounding residential areas in Hetauda Sub- families. In absence of any previous documentation, our Metropolitan City (FIG. 1) altogether covering an checklist can serve as a reference for future serpent estimated area of 97 hectares. research and conservation efforts within the Institute of Forestry, Hetauda Campus. Keywords Serpents, Tropical Zone, Visual Encounter Survey ______

Introduction In Nepal, serpents have been recorded from the tropical zone of Terai (below than 100 m) to the high mountains (higher than 4800 m) of Himalayan region (Thapa 2010). A total of 89 serpent species have been recorded till now from Nepal (Sharma et al. 2013) and research in documenting their richness or understanding their ecology is rather limited in the country. Some of the previous surveys of serpents include documentation of 25 species in Parsa National Park (Bhattarai et al. 2018), 21 species in Sarlahi district (Chhettri and Chhetry 2013), 32 species in the vicinity of Chitwan National Park (Pandey et al. 2018) and 6 species in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (Chhetry 2010). There is a lack of serpent research in the country and Makwanpur district is no exception. Institute of Forestry (IOF), Hetauda Campus lies in Makwanpur district in tropical climatic zone (CBS 2017). The tropical and subtropical region offers suitable habitat for a large FIG. 1: Map of study area. number of serpent species (Hung 2004). However, there Situated at the southern part of Makwanpur, the have been no documentation of serpent species in IOF, study area is located in the tropical zone of Churiya range Hetauda Campus till date. Thus, there is a paucity of data of central Nepal at 470 m and has tropical climate. The on serpent in the institute. This study aims to generate area receives an average yearly precipitation of 2474 mm information on species richness of serpent in and around (CBS 2017). It has tropical and subtropical forest campus premises. vegetation, supporting a wide range of flora and fauna which includes more than 150 floral species (Singh 2016), 98 species of butterflies (Chhetri 2017), and 91 species of birds (Pokharel 2017). Based on our field observation, the

Paguma larvata, Rhesus Monkey Macaca mulatta, Spotted Deer Axis axis and Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardsii. Mixed forest and grassland, with seasonal wetland near a perennial river, are found in the study area (Pokharel 2017). The study area has a national highway in the east, Karra river in the south, human settlement in the north, and Karra river and gravel road to the west.

Data collection The study was carried out from 20 May to 31 October,

2018. Visual encounter survey (VES) was conducted to determine serpent richness (van Rooijen 2009; Dodd 2016) both during day as well as night (Coddington et al. SWETA SHRESTHA 1996; Doan 2003; van Rooijen 2009). VES deployed in this FIG. 3: Common Trinket Snake. research was different from previous VES studies (Crump and Scott 1994) since we did not use it as a time- Results constrained technique. The researchers walked through each transect (with maximum, minimum and average During the transect survey which covered a total distance lengths of 1210 m, 98 m and 481.66 m respectively) at a of 5780 m in residential areas, Sal dominated mixed pace of 2-3 km/hour and visually searched 2 m on both forest, grassland and riverine areas, 11 serpent species sides without disturbing the vegetation (Doan 2003). from four families (TABLE 1) were observed. Among the Trees within 2 m of the transects were also searched for 11 species, six species from Colubridae, three species any arboreal serpent species. Two teams with two from Elapidae and one species each from Typhlopidae observers each, surveyed both sides of the transects and Viperidae family were recorded. Additionally, seven parallely. The transects were surveyed once every 15 days dead serpents were also recorded during our survey. for a total of 12 days and 12 nights. TABLE 1: Checklist of serpents in the study site.

Family Scientific Name Common Name

Typhlopidae Indotyphlops Brahminy Worm Snake braminus

Colubridae Dendrelaphis tristis Bronzeback Tree Snake

Colubridae Lycodon aulicus Common Wolf Snake

Colubridae Amphiesma Buff Striped Keelback

AAVAS PRADHAN stolatum FIG. 2: Banded Krait. Colubridae Ptyas mucosa Asian Ratsnake Furthermore, we searched for serpents under logs and stones (Wilgers et al. 2006; Glaudas 2013) for Colubridae Chrysopelea Ornate Flying Snake opportunistic records. The observed species were ornata photographed and identified using field guides, Herpetofauna of Nepal: A conservation companion (Shah Colubridae Coelognathus Common Trinket Snake and Tiwari 2004) and Field guide to Amphibians and helena Reptiles of Nepal (Kästle et al. 2013). Viperidae Trimeresurus White-lipped Pit Viper albolabris

Elapidae Bungarus lividus Lesser Black Krait

Elapidae Bungarus Common Krait caeruleus

Elapidae Bungarus fasciatus Banded Krait

DOL RAJDOL THANET

SANTOSH BAJAGAIN FIG. 4: Ornate Flying Snake. FIG. 6: White-lipped Pit Viper.

Discussion References Out of 11 serpents recorded in the study site, four Bhattarai, S., Pokheral, C.P., Lamichhane, B.R., Regmi, U.R., Ram, A.K. and Subedi, N. 2018. Amphibians and reptiles of Parsa National Park, serpents i.e. White-lipped Pit Viper Trimeresurus Nepal. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation,12, 35-48. albolabris, Lesser Black Krait Bungarus lividus, Common Central Bureau of Statistics 2017.Rural Municipality/Municipality Profile, Krait Bungarus caeruleus, and Banded Krait Bungarus Makwanpur. Statistics Office, Makwanpur, Nepal. fasciatus are deadly venomous. Ornate Flying Snake Chettri, K. and Chhetry, D.T. 2013. Diversity of Snakes in Sarlahi district, Chrysopelea ornata is mildly venomous while others are Nepal. Our Nature,11, 201-207. considered non-venomous (Whitaker and Captain 2016). Chhetri, S. 2017. Status and Distribution of Butterfly "A case study from In this study, more non-venomous serpents were found Institute of Forestry, Hetauda. B.Sc. Project Paper, Tribhuvan University, compared to deadly and mildly venomous serpents which Nepal. is similar to results of other studies (Chettri and Chhetry Chhetry, D.T. 2010. Diversity of Herpetofauna in and around the Koshi 2013; Sharma et al. 2013). Nepali and Singh (2019) Tappu Wildlife Reserve. Bibechana, 6,15-17. recorded twenty-three species in Palpa out of which 16 Coddington, J.A., Young, L.H. and Coyle, F.A. 1996. Estimating spider species were non-venomous. Despite its small area, species richness in a southern Appalachian cove hardwood forest. The Journal of Arachnology,24, 111-128. presence of 11 species of serpents, which accounts for 12.35% of known species of Nepal (N=89, Sharma et al. Crump, M.L. and Scott Jr., N.J. 1994. Visual encounter surveys. In Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for 2013) suggests that the premises of IOF, Hetauda Campus Amphibians, W. R. Heyer, M. A. Donnelly, R. W. McDiarmid, L. C. Hayek, offers a good habitat for serpents. and M. S. Foster (eds.). Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC. The checklist of serpents produced by this study PP. 84-92. can serve as a reference for future research work in the Doan, T.M. 2003. Which methods are most effective for surveying area. Hopefully, it is the start of future scientific studies rainforest herpetofauna? Journal of Herpetology,37,72-81. on serpents of the IOF, Hetauda Campus, and will aid in Dodd, C.K.2016. Plot and transect censuses. Reptile ecology and campus forest management plan. conservation: a handbook of techniques. Oxford University Press, UK. PP. 227-240. Seven dead serpents, most probably killed by people, observed during the study period suggest lack of Glaudas, X.A. 2013.Visual encounter surveys. In Inventory and Monitoring: Recommended Techniques for Amphibians and Reptiles, conservation awareness among the people in and around Graeter, G.J., Buhlmann, K.A., Wilkinson, LR., et al. (eds). Partners in IOF, Hetauda Campus complex. We recommend Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Birmingham. PP. 73-74. implementation of awareness program for conservation Hung, D.Z. 2004. Taiwan's venomous snakebite: epidemiological, of serpents in the study site. evolution and geographic differences. Transactions of the Royal Society

of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 98,96-101. Kästle, W., Rai, K. and Schleich, H.H. 2013. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. ARCO-Nepal. Nepali, P.B. and Singh, N.B. 2019.Documentation of Snakes Species Richness in Palpa, Nepal. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology,4, 599-604. Pandey, D.P., Jelic, D., Sapkota, S., Lama, H.M., Lama, B., Pokharel, K., Goode, M. and Kuch, U. 2018.New records of snakes from Chitwan National Park and vicinity, Central Nepal. Herpetology Notes, 11, 679-

696. Pokharel, S. 2017. Diversity and habitat association of avifauna in and around IOF Complex, Hetauda, Nepal. B.Sc. Project Paper, Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

SANTOSH BAJAGAIN Shah, K.B. and Tiwari, S. 2004. Herpetofauna of Nepal: A conservation FIG. 5: Asian Rat Snake. companion. IUCN Nepal.

Sharma, S.K., Pandey, D.P., Shah, K.B., Tillack, F., Chappuis, F., Thapa, Wilgers, D.J., Horne, E.A., Sandercock, B.K. and Volkmann, A.W. 2006. C.L., Alirol, E. and Kuch, U. 2013.How many snake species occur in Effects of rangeland management on community dynamics of the Nepal, and how many of these are dangerous? In Venomous Snakes of herpetofauna of the tallgrass prairie. Herpetologica, 62,378-388. Nepal. A Photographic Guide. BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Dharan, Nepal. PP. 23-46. Biosketches Singh, B. 2016.An Assessment of Biomass and Carbon Stock in Tropical AAVAS PRADHAN is a M.Sc. Wildlife Management and Biodiversity Natural Forest of Nepal (A case study of Institute of Forestry Hetauda Conservation student at School of Forestry and Natural Resource Campus). B.Sc. Project Paper, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Management, IOF, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal and has been involved in research and conservation of herpetofauna. Thapa, S. 2010. Nepalese Serpents. The Initiation, 1, 111. SANTOSH BAJAGAIN is a wildlife researcher and conservationist vanRooijen, J. 2009. Estimating the Snake species richness of the who works in International Union for Conservation of Nature Santubong Peninsula (Borneo) in two different ways. Contributions to (IUCN), Nepal. He has been involved in the research and conservation of wildlife. Zoology, 78, 141-147. RAKSHANDA SEDHAIN is a graduate from IOF, Hetauda and Whitaker, R. and Captain, A.2016.SNAKES OF INDIA: THE FIELD GUIDE. currently works as an Assistant Forest Officer at Division Forest Westland/Draco Books Pvt. Ltd, India. Office, Dailekh, Government of Nepal. She has been involved in research and conservation of butterflies.

AARATI BASNET¹ *, BHUWAN SINGH BIST2 and PRASHANT GHIMIRE3

¹Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara-15, Nepal 2School of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, IOF, Deans Office, Kirtipur, Nepal 3Faculty of Science, Health and Technology, Nepal Open University, Lalitpur, Nepal *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract A camera trap survey was carried out in a Methodology small forest patch at the edge of Budigandaki River and adjoining streams of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality, Gorkha district of western Nepal to document the mammalian species in the area. The survey was carried out between December 2018 and January 2019. Camera trap photographs and live sightings confirmed the presence of nine species of mammals. Further research is required to build up on this knowledge for better conservation planning in the area. Keywords Budigandaki River, Camera trap, Gorkha, Settlement ______

Introduction Mammals are an important component of the ecosystem as ecosystem service providers and indicators of its health, for which they deserve conservation and management concern (Kitamura et al. 2010). Information on the status and distribution of species within a geographical region is vital for designing effective conservation plans (Debata and Swain 2018). Therefore, study of mammalian fauna has been a priority in Nepal as well. Till date, 212 mammal species have been recorded (Amin et al. 2018) from Nepal of which 29 are globally threatened (IUCN 2020) and 49 are assessed as nationally threatened (Amin et al. 2018). Protected areas cover 23.39% of Nepal and the conservation intervention has FIG. 1: Map showing study area, Bhimsen Thapa Rural been successful in recovery of megafauna populations Municipality. such as Greater One-horned Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis and Bengal Tiger Panthera tigris (Dhakal et al. The study was conducted in Bhimsen Thapa Rural 2018). However, conservation concern over mammals Municipality (BTRM) of Gorkha district in western Nepal outside protected areas is still limited (Bist et al. 2017). in a small tropical forest patch of a community forest and Gorkha, a biologically and culturally diverse adjacent tributaries along the Budigandaki River. This district, includes Manaslu Conservation Area (MCA) which forest patch lies adjacent to the settlements and harbors 39 species of mammals including Himalayan Black agricultural land. Gorkha district lies at the meeting point Bear Ursus thibetanus, Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster between the western and eastern Himalayan floristic and Snow Leopard Panthera uncia (NTNC 2020). regions (Singh and Singh 1987) making it rich in However, the forests outside the protected area are still biodiversity. The district consists of 11 Municipalities, out unexplored and are subjected to anthropogenic threats of which two are urban municipalities and nine are rural (Ghimire et al. 2014). In this study, we have prepared a municipalities. BTRM borders Tripurasundari Rural checklist of mammals recorded during our research Municipality of Dhading district in the east. BTRM focused on Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra (Basnet et al. 2020) (27.976415°, 84.761826°) was established in 2017 (2073 in one of the municipalities of Gorkha district. BS) whose headquarters is located in Khanchok, Gorkha district, Gandaki Province of Nepal. The area of BTRM is 101.35 km² with population density of 217.6/ km² (CBS 2011). Streams Kalimati and Katare flow through the

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 20-23 Mammals of Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality, Gorkha 21 forest and connects with the Budigandaki River. The Results dominant floras are Sal Shorea robusta and Chilauni Schima wallichi.

FIG. 4: Crab-eating Mongoose recorded in camera trap. FIG. 2: Map showing camera trap locations and transects in study area. Altogether 2,266 photographs (1,297 in days and 969 in nights) were captured with seven species of mammals Field survey and Camera trapping from four orders and six families. The recorded species Camera traps were used for this research with the were Barking Deer Muntiacus vaginalis, Indian Hare Lepus intention to explore mammals of the study area as a non- nigricollis, Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, Asian invasive method. Since the original research was targeted Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Crab-eating on otters, the area around the water and wetlands were Mongoose Herpestes urva, Small Asian Mongoose focused. Five camera traps were set for 10 camera trap Herpestes auropunctatus and Assam Macaque Macaca days (24 hours/day) and a single camera trap was set for assamensis (TABLE 1). Besides these, live observations of 5 camera traps days in a station between December 2018 two mammals, Golden Jackal Canis aureus and Hoary- and January 2019. Cameras (Bushnell, 8MP) were placed bellied Squirrel Callosciurus pygerythrus, were made. opportunistically after discussion with local people and TABLE 1: Captured mammals in camera trap (LC: Least field verification for the most probable sites to capture Concern, VU: Vulnerable, NT: Near Threatened). small mammals targeting otters. Height of the camera traps ranged from 25 to 50 cm from the ground level as Common Family Global Regional per the landscape features required for better coverage. name IUCN IUCN Coordinates of the camera traps were noted. Camera status status traps were set up in photo mode.

Barking Cervidae LC VU Deer

Indian Hare Leporidae LC LC

Leopard Felidae LC VU Cat

Asian Palm Viverridae LC LC Civet

Crab-eating Herpestidae LC VU Mongoose

Small Herpestidae LC LC FIG. 3: Crew members working to set a camera trap. Indian Mongoose A total of 5 transects of 1 km in length and 10 m in breadth each along the river bank were surveyed for Assam Cercopithecidae NT VU scats, tracks and other indirect signs of mammals focusing Macaque on otters.

TABLE 2: Camera stations description with elevation, dominant species number of days and species trapped.

Camera Elevation Habitat Dominant Plant Species Total Number Number Species Trap (Meters) (Nepali names) Of Photo Of Days Station Captured A 399 Open canopy, Engelhardtia spicata (Mauwa), 61 5 N/A river-forest Lyonia ovalifolia (Angeri), edge Oryza sativa (Dhan) and Shorea robusta (Sal) B 412 Open canopy, Shorea robusta (Sal), 325 10 Leopard Cat, Indian river-forest Adiantum caudatum (Neuro) Hare, Barking Deer, edge and Asian Palm Civet Asteraceae ageratina and Assam (Banmara) Macaque

C 642 Forest, Stream Shorea robusta (Sal) and 1032 10 N/A Musa spp. (Kera) D 607 Forest, Stream Schima wallichi (Chilauni), 106 10 Crab-eating Lyonia ovalifolia (Angeri) and Mongoose Shorea robusta (Sal) E 566 Forest, Stream Adiantum caudatum (Neuro) 65 10 N/A and Engelhardtia spicata (Mauwa) F 543 Irrigated Shorea robusta (Sal) and 677 10 Small Indian farmland Oryza sativa (Dhan) Mongoose

Discussion make suitable habitats for small mammals (Maisonneuve The records of nine species of mammals in forest edges and Rioux 2001; Flack et al. 2003) as in this study area. along streams and rivers within a limited time frame of Station B (TABLE 2) is a junction of settlements, 25th December 2018 to 5th January 2019 suggest good agricultural lands, river and forest which might be the potentiality of mammals in the area. One of them, Assam reason for the higher number - five species of mammals Macaque is Near Threatened globally while Barking Deer, being recorded here, compared to other stations. Leopard Cat, Assam Macaque and Crab-eating Mongoose Relatively longer studies within such areas are very are Vulnerable in national context (Amin et al. 2018; IUCN important as these can aid local government to plan 2020). Riparian habitat combined with agricultural strips relevant conservation programs.

FIG. 5-10: Mammals recorded in the study area (by row, from left to right): 5. Small Indian Mongoose, 6. Hoary-bellied Squirrel, 7. Barking Deer, 8. Indian Hare, 9. Asian Palm Civet, and 10. Assam Macaque.

Central Bureau of Statistics of Nepal. 2011. National Population and Housing Census 2011. Central Bureau of Statistics, Kathmandu, Nepal. Debata, S. and Swain, K.K. 2018. Estimating Mammalian Diversity and Relative Abundance Using Camera Traps in a Tropical Deciduous Forest of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, Eastern India. Mammal Society of Japan 43, 45-53. Dhakal, M., Lamichhane, D., Ghimire, M.D., Poudyal, A., Uprety, Y., Svich, T. and Pandey, M. 2018. 25 years of achievements on Biodiversity Conservation in Nepal. Environment and Biodiversity Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoFE). Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal. Falck, M.J., Wilson, K.R., and Andersen, D.C. 2003. Small mammals within riparian habitats of a regulated and unregulated aridland river. West. North American Naturalist63, 35-42. Ghimire, H.R., Phuyal, S. and Shah K.B. 2014. Protected species outside the protected areas: People’s attitude, threats and conservation of the Yellow Monitor (Varanus flavescens) in the Far-western Lowlands of Nepal. Journal for Nature Conservation 22, 497-503. IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on 20 April 2020. FIG. 11: Leopard Cat recorded in camera trap. Kitamura, S., Thong-Aree, S., Madsari, S. and Poonswad, P. 2010. Mammal diversity and conservation in a small isolated forest of Acknowledgements southern Thailand. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 58, 145–156. Our sincere thanks go to Small Mammals Conservation Maisonneuve, C and Rioux, S. 2001. Importance of riparian habitats for and Research Foundation (SMCRF) for providing grants to small mammal and herpetofaunal communities in agricultural landscapes of southern Qubec. Agriculture ecosystems and environment conduct this research. We are indebted to Sanjan Thapa, 83, 165-175. Sagar Dahal, Yadav Ghimirey and Karan Shah for their NESS.2016. Budhi Gandaki Hydroelectric Project (BGHP) Environmental support and guidance. We are also grateful to our friend Impact Assessment Study. Nepal Environmental and Scientific Services Kavi Raj Awasthi for his advice on making the map of our Pvt. Ltd. Kathmandu, Nepal. study area. We would like to thank anonymous reviewers NTNC. 2020. Manaslu Conservation area project. for critically reading the manuscript and suggesting https://ntnc.org.np/project/manaslu-conservation-area-project-mcap. 2 substantial improvements. We owe a debt of gratitude to April 2020. all the authors of literature cited. Last but not the least, Singh, J.S., and Singh, S.P. 1987. Forest vegetation of the Himalaya. The we thank the Institute of Forestry, Department of Forest Botanical Review 53, 80-192. and Division forest office, Gorkha for their support. Biosketches References AARATI BASNET is a graduate with Bachelor’s degree in Forestry Science from Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal. Amin, R., Baral, H.S., Lamichhane, B.R., Poudyal, L.P., Lee, S., Jnawali, S.R., Acharya, K.P., Upadhyaya, G.P., Pandey, M.B., Shrestha, R., Joshi, BHUWAN SINGH BIST is a student researcher pursuing Masters in Wildlife at School of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, D., Griffiths, J., Khatiwada, A.P. and Subedi, N. 2018. The status of IOF, Kirtipur. Nepal’s mammals: The National Red List Series. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10, 11361-11378. PRASHANT GHIMIRE is a forestry graduate who has been working in research and conservation of Asian Woollyneck stork in Nepal. Basnet, A., Bist, B.S., Ghimire, P. and Acharya, P.M. 2020. Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra): Exploring Evidence in Nepal. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin37, 29-37. Bist, B.S., Paudel, S., Ghimire, P., Bhattarai, S., Sharma, B., Subedi, A., Khanal, C., KC, J.K. and Pokheral, C.P. 2017. Mammals: The Jewels of Banpale Forest, Kaski District, Nepal. Journal of Biodiversity & Endangered Species 5, 1-7. Bland, L.M., Keith, D.A., Murray, N.J. and Rodríguez, J.P. 2015. Guidelines for the Application of IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Categories and Criteria, Version 1.0. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Gland, Switzerland, 93.

Short Communication

Distribution of Sikkim Caecilian in Nepal

KUL BAHADUR THAPA1* and KARAN BAHADUR SHAH1

1Himalayan Nature, PO Box 10918, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract Nationwide distribution information on Sikkim (AmphibiaWeb 2019). They are mostly distributed in the Caecilian Ichthyophis sikkimensis Taylor, 1960 is very tropics of South and Central America, Africa, and scant. Based on our field surveys and literature review, southern Asia. we present its updated geographical distribution in Nepal. Sikkim Caecilian Ichthyophis sikkimensis was first Our study includes 10 observations from five districts of described by Edward Harrison Taylor in 1960 after eastern, central and western part of the country. These examining preserved specimens deposited at various records indicate that the Sikkim Caecilian may be more museums. All the specimens examined and identified as I. widely distributed than previously thought and requires a sikkimensis were collections from Darjeeling and Sikkim, thorough survey across the country. thus named Darjeeling or Sikkim Caecilian. This species has the northern-most distribution record among Keywords Legless Amphibian, Darjeeling Caecilian, caecilians and has been recorded in eastern Himalaya Distribution, Nepal, Water Spring (Schleich and Kästle 2002; Ohler et al. 2004). ______I. sikkimensis is the only legless amphibian found in Nepal. It has been considered as scarce by Shah and Introduction Tiwari (2004). Caecilians are legless small snakes or earthworm-like Methodology amphibians and represent the amphibian order, Gymnophiona. They are sometimes mistaken for giant Primary Data Collection earthworms or even snakes. Due to their burrowing, Field surveys following opportunistic active search in secretive and nocturnal habit, they are encountered in potential habitats were carried out during 2013 to 2019 in the field only occasionally (Nussbaum and Wilkinson eastern, central and western parts of the country to 1989). Among the extant amphibians, caecilians are record occurrence of the Sikkim Caecilian. In addition, perhaps the least known creatures. The Sikkim Caecilian accidental sighting records were also documented. Ichthyophis sikkimensis Taylor, 1960 has been listed as Data Deficient (DD) by IUCN Red List of Threatened Secondary Data Collection Species in view of continuing uncertainties as to its extent In order to collate secondary information, research of occurrence, status and ecological requirements (Ohler articles, books, dissertations, and published and et al. 2004). Till now, 213 species of caecilians have been unpublished reports (1981-82 to 2019) on caecilians were recorded belonging to 10 families and 33 genera reviewed.

FIG. 1: Districts and locations with record of Sikkim Caecilian Ichthyophis sikkimensis in Nepal.

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 24-27 25 Distribution of Sikkim Caecilian in Nepal Results mentioned their observations as I. sikkimensis while Malla The Sikkim Caecilian has been reported from five districts (1981-82), Shrestha (2001) and Poudyal (2008) stated as I. of Nepal (FIG. 1). A total of 90 individuals of the species glutinosus and Nepali (2012) stated as I. kodaguensis. were observed from nine locations of five districts However, I. glutinosus is restricted to Sri Lanka (Nussbaun (ANNEX 1). It was found to be distributed from Ilam and Gans 1980; Dutta 1987) and I. kodaguensis is district in the east to Palpa district in the west. It has been endemic to Western Ghats (Wilkinson et al 2007). Thus, recorded from as low as 160 m (Butwal, Rupandehi these claims of occurrence of I. glutinosus and I. district) till up to 1,550 m (Dabugaun, Kanyam, Ilam kodaguensis may be due to wrong identification. For district). The species was recorded from Ilam district of example, Thapa (2016) carried out thorough Province No. 1, Dhading and Chitwan districts of Province examinations of the specimens collected by Nepali (2012) No. 3, Palpa and Rupandehi districts of Province No. 5. from Narayansthan and Holangdi, Tansen, Palpa and Geographically, Sikkim Caecilian occurred in two districts concluded them to be I. sikkimensis (FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). of Terai and three districts of hilly region.

KB THAPA FIG. 4: A preserved specimen from Narayansthan, Palpa.

KB THAPA FIG. 2: Narayansthan, Palpa one of the Sikkim Caecilian recorded locations. Among the recorded specimens, 78 were observed in water spring, eight in human settlement and four on stream bank. Among these, 10 individuals were found alive and 80 were dead.

KB THAPA

FIG. 3: A dead specimen from Teendhara, Palpa. FIG. 5: Specimen recorded from Holangdi, Palpa – (top) Our record of a dead specimen from Teendhara, live specimen (PC: PB Nepali), and (bottom) preserved Tansen, Palpa district was made on 9 September 2017 specimen (PC: KB Thapa). near a water spring (FIG. 3). Sighting of Katunje specimens of Dhading district was reported by Kantipur I. sikkimensis is considered to be native to Daily Newspaper where the authors made a field visit and eastern Himalaya. However, Pillai and Ravichandran examined the dead specimens (n=76) in May 2016 and (1999) claimed this species to occur in Anaimalai hills of identified them as Sikkim Caecilian (FIG. 6). the Western Ghats of peninsular India based on examination of the two specimens collected in 1949 by A. Discussion F. Hutton. But Gower et al. (2017) re-examined the Malla (1981-82) mentioned the occurrence of Ichthyophis specimens in question and said they have been in the foothills of Nepal which lacks precise location misidentified and that the pair together probably information. Later, Shrestha (2001), Rai (2003), Poudyal belonged to an undescribed species; thus concluding that (2008), Nepali (2012), Thapa (2016) and Shrestha (2017) I. sikkimensis does not occur in peninsular India; which reported from different parts of the country. Among removes a major biogeographic anomaly. Since the claim them, only Rai (2003), Thapa (2016) and Shrestha (2017) of I. sikkimensis occurrence in Western Ghats has been

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 24-27 26 Distribution of Sikkim Caecilian in Nepal rejected, records from Palpa district appear to be the Holangdi and Janata Higher Secondary School, farthest distribution of the species from type locality i.e. Basantapur, Tansen, Palpa for their great help during our Darjeeling, West Bengal. Hence, based on the results of field survey and study of museum specimens. We are very our study, we suggest thorough surveys to further west in grateful to Sharad Singh, Director and Himalayan Nature Nepal and India to explore the possibility of its family for important support during Katunje field visit and occurrence. subsequent studies. As mentioned by Nussbaum and Wilkinson (1989) due to burrowing, secretive and nocturnal habits, References they are encountered in the field only occasionally. This AmphibiaWeb. 2019. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. may be the reason why most of the records of I. https://amphibiaweb.org Accessed on 31 October 2019. sikkimensis from Nepal are accidental. Since they live in Dutta, S.K. 1987. Misidentification, Wrong Nomenclature and wet and damp areas, drying up of such habitats due to Misspelling of some Indian Amphibians. Journal of Zoological Society of change in microclimate and topography as a result of India 39, 109-113. climate change and anthropogenic disturbance might Gower, D., Giri, V., Kamei, R.G., Oommen, O.V., Khot, R. and Wilkinson, have been affecting the caecilian population in Nepal. In M. 2017. On the absence of Ichthyophis sikkimensis Taylor, 1960 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) in the Western Ghats of addition, sometimes people also mistake caecilian as a peninsular India. Herpetological Journal 27, 181-187. snake and kill it. Our understanding of possible reason Malla, Y.K. 1981-82. Amphibians: In Majupuria, T. C. (Ed) Wild is behind the huge mortality of caecilian at Katunje of Beautiful – Introduction to Fauna and Wildlife of Nepal. Pp 137-141. Dhading (n=76) is that it occurred due to drying up of the Nepali, P.B. 2012. Taxonomical Study on Ichthyophis; A Legless water spring triggered by the events of the earthquake of Amphibian in Nepal. Pragik Pravah 7, 73-76. 25 April 2015 and the frequent aftershocks that occurred Nussbaum, R.A. and Gans, C. 1980. On the Ichthyophis (Amphibia: in the subsequent weeks (FIG. 6). Gymnophiona) of Sri Lanka. Spolia Zeylanica 35, 137-154.

Nussbaum, R.A. and Wilkinson, M. 1989. On the Classification and Phylogeny of Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), A Critical Review; Herpetological Monographs 3, 1-42. Ohler, A., Dutta, S., Gower, D., Wilkinson, M. and Oommen, O.V. 2004. Ichthyophis sikkimensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T59632A11973397.http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T59 632A11973397.en. Downloaded on 31 October 2019 Pillai, R.S. and Ravichandran, M.S. 1999. Gymnophiona (Amphibia) of the Zoological Survey of India – A taxonomic study – Rec. Zool. Surv. Ind. Occ. Paper no. 172, 1-117.

Poudyal, S.P. 2008. Ichthyophis; an interesting and important animal from Palpa. Pragik Pravah 5, 89-91.

KB THAPA Rai, K.R. 2003. Environmental Impacts, Systematics and Distribution of FIG. 6: Dead specimens from Katunje, Dhading. Herpetofauna from East Nepal. Ph.D. Thesis, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. The underground structure of the spring might Schleich, H.H. and Kästle, W. 2002. Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal. have destabilized during the earthquake leading to drying Gantner Verlag K.G. Germany. PP 1295. up of the water source which might have forced them to Shah, K.B. and Tiwari, S. 2004. Herpetofauna of Nepal - A Conservation move out in search of wet areas leading them to their Companion. IUCN Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal. Pages 236. demise; they might have come out on the land surface on Shrestha, B. 2017. Assemblage of Herpetofauna in Korak Village, a hot summer mid-day and got killed by the heat. The Northern Chitwan, Nepal. Zoo’s Print 32, 23-30. dead specimen from Teendhara, Tansen, Palpa district Shrestha, T.K. 2001. Herpetology of Nepal: A Field Guide to Amphibians (FIG. 3) also appeared to have died due to heat after and Reptiles of Trans Himalayan Region of Asia. Mrs. Bimala Shrestha, being exposed to direct sunlight. Therefore, in order to Kathmandu, Nepal. combat the challenges presented by climate change, Taylor, E.H. 1960. On the Caecilian Species Ichthyophis glutinosus and human disturbance and natural hazards, thorough Ichthyophis monochrous, with Description of Related Species. University information on the distribution of the species seems to be of Kansas Science Bulletin 40, 37–130. important. Thapa, K.B. 2016. Herpetofaunal Diversity of Palpa District, Nepal. An unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Acknowledgements Wilkinson, M., Gower, D.J., Govindappa, V. and Venkatachalaiah, G. We are thankful to Mr. Pit Bahadur Nepali and Mr. 2007. A new species of Ichthyophis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Karnataka, India. Herpetologica 63, 511–518. Narayan Baral (Tribhuvan Multiple Campus, Tansen, Palpa), Rabin Ale (Tansen, Palpa), Sudip Chhatkuli Biosketches (Division Forest Office, Dhading), Ram Bahadur Shrestha KUL BAHADUR THAPA is a zoologist, particularly interested in (Katunje, Dhading), Harihar Singh Rathour (Dhading- herpetology. He has been researching amphibians and reptiles, Kantipur Daily Newspaper), Raj Man Maharjan (Natural including their conservation in Nepal. History Museum, Swoyambhu), Bishow Prakash Subedi KARAN BAHADUR SHAH is a senior herpetologist and retired Professor of Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. (District Administration Office, Dhading). We also He is the Chief Scientific Advisor at Himalayan Nature, acknowledge Shreenagar Higher Secondary School, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sikkim Caecilian Ichthyophis sikkimensis (Taylor 1960) Records in Nepal S.N. Latitude Longitude Altitude No. of Location District Evidence Status Date of record Time of Habitat Source of (m) specimen record information 1 27.866153 83.547722 1241 1 Tindhara, Tansen Palpa Specimen Dead 09 Sep 2017 11h00 Water spring Authors 2 27.867649 83.547722 1295 1 Narayansthan, Palpa Specimen Live 2012 08h00 Water spring Nepali (2012) Tansen 3 27.865415 83.539639 1208 1 Holangdi, Tansen Palpa Specimen Live 2012 16h00 Tap water Nepali (2012) 4 27.865629 83.530306 1247 1 Bandevi, Tansen Palpa Literature Dead Feb 1989 N/A Stream bank Poudyal (2008) 5 27.865629 83.530306 1247 1 Bandevi, Tansen Palpa Literature Live 26 Aug 1999 N/A Stream bank Poudyal (2008) 6 27.679617 84.686061 1150 1 Chaughara, Korak Chitwan Literature Live Sep 2015 23h15 Human settlement Shrestha (2017) 7 27.973220 84.944040 1346 76 Katunje Dhading Specimen Dead May 2016 14h00 Water spring Authors 8 26.850000 88.100000 1550 6 Dabugaun, Kanyam Ilam Literature Live 10 Jul 2001 21h00 Human settlement Rai (2003) 9 N/A N/A N/A 1 Tadi Khola Nuwakot Literature Dead 1980 N/A Stream bank Shrestha (2001) 10 N/A N/A ̴160 1 Butwal Rupandehi Literature Dead 1980 N/A Stream bank Shrestha (2001) Total 90

Distribution Update First Record of King Cobra from Okhaldhunga and Sankhuwasabha Districts, Eastern Nepal

KAMAL DEVKOTA1*, BIMAL KC2 and KARAN BAHADUR SHAH3

1Nepal Toxinology Association, Kawasoti, Nawalpur, Nepal 2Division Forest Office, Sankhuwasabha, Nepal 3Himalayan Nature, Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal *Email for correspondence: [email protected]

The King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836) is Recently we recorded occurrences of the species the longest venomous snake in the world with deadly for the first time in districts of Sankhuwasabha and neurotoxic venom (Schleich and Kästle 2002; Shah and Okhaldhunga from Province no. 1 of eastern Nepal (FIG. Tiwari 2004). It inhabits the moist temperate forests, 1). Sankhuwasabha has an area of 3,468.38 km2 with the tropical and subtropical wet forests, and areas close to highest and the lowest annual mean temperature of 25°C river banks, ponds and sometimes small waterways in the and 16.5°C respectively (Dahal 2016). Okhaldhunga vicinity of human habitation (Schleich and Kästle 2002; covers 1,047 km2 and the climate of this district is also Shah and Tiwari 2004; Whitaker and Captain 2004). In mostly cold and temperate.

Nepal, king cobras have been recorded from below 100 m in Terai to up to 2566 m in high mountains (Thapa et al. 2019). The King Cobra mainly feeds on snakes hence also called a snake-eater (i.e. ophiophagus); occasionally it feeds on monitor lizards and sometimes shows cannibalism (Schleich and Kästle 2002; Shah and Tiwari 2004; Whitaker and Captain 2004). Female King Cobras

are the only snakes that exhibit a peculiar behavior of building nests and guarding the eggs until they hatch (Schleich and Kästle 2002; Whitaker and Captain 2004). BIMAL KC FIG. 2: The captured individual in a cage. King Cobra is categorized as Vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and included in the Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (Stuart et al. 2012). It is a protected species in Nepal and declared as Vulnerable by the National Red Data Book

(Keeling and Verheugt 1995). Destruction of habitat, deforestation, illegal collection for skin, food, pets, traditional medicines and persecution are the main BIMAL KC reasons for its globally threatened status and decreasing FIG. 3: Rescued King Cobra from Chichila Rural population (Stuart et al. 2012). Municipality, Sankhuwasabha district. The first observation of King Cobra was made at 08h00 on 28 April 2020 during a rescue call in Matysapokhari 4 (27.48532278°N; 87.25972222°E at 1772m), Chichila Rural Municipality, Sankhuwasabha district. According to locals, two adult snakes, both about 2.5 m long, were observed in the vicinity of a small pond inside a patch of secondary forest about 200 m away from human settlement. One of the snakes was captured and put in a cage (FIG. 2) while the other escaped in the process. The captured individual had gray-brown head (FIG. 3), dark olive mid-body and indistinct yellowish- white circular bands in its tail region. It was later released FIG. 1: Map showing Sankhuwasabha and Okhaldhunga in its natural habitat in the presence of the second districts with King Cobra sighting points. author.

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 28-30 First Record of King Cobra from Okhaldhunga and Sankhuwasabha Districts, Eastern Nepal 29 The second observation was made at 14h50 on FIG. 5: Two mating individuals were observed in the 08 May 2020 in Betini 8 (27.28599722°N; 86.47305556°E vicinity of a small stream. at 1502m), Siddhicharan Municipality, Okhaldhunga district (FIG. 4 and FIG. 5). Two mating individuals, both Fleming and Fleming (1974) recorded King Cobra about 3m long, were observed in the vicinity of a small for the first time in Nepal from lowland of Rautahat stream close to a forest patch and human settlement. district. Later various authors have reported its According to locals, these two individuals were at the occurrence from different districts of Nepal. Recently, same place for more than 45 minutes and two other adult Thapa et al. (2019) reviewed and compiled the King Cobras visited the mating site one at a time during distribution of King Cobra from various sources including the mating but immediately left the site disappearing into their own observations and confirmed its occurrence in the jungle. The mating individuals were undisturbed at 37 out of 77 districts of Nepal. Rai (2020) and Rawat et al. the beginning but later more people gathered at the site (2020) also recorded King Cobra from Ilam district and and both the King Cobras moved away on their own. Kanchanpur district respectively. With addition of the two Sighting of four adult King Cobras at the single site is also new records presented here, its occurrence has now been a rare event. This could possibly be due to visiting confirmed from 41 districts of Nepal. Solukhumbu, individuals detecting the presence of the female in heat. Sindhuli and Udayapur districts where this species was

previously recorded (Thapa et al. 2019) are neighbouring districts of Okhaldhunga and Sankhuwasabha districts. Further ecological study on the species would certainly improve our understanding of the species behavior and ecology. Hence detailed studies on its distribution and ecology is extremely important.

Acknowledgements We thank Mr. Bijay Gurung, Betini, Okhaldhunga district and Division Forest Office, Sankhuwasabha district for

informing us about the sighting of the King Cobras. We also thank Mr. Hem Bahadur Katuwal for assistance with the map. BIJAY GURUNG FIG. 4: King Cobra sighted mating in Siddhicharan References Municipality, Okhaldhunga district.

Dahal, A. 2016.Ethno botanical study of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the management of diabetes mellitus in Sankhuwasabha, Nepal. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research 4, 65-70. Fleming, R.L. and Fleming, R.L.jr.1974.Some Snakes from Nepal. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Museum Society 70, 426–437. Rai, T.P. 2020. Record of King Cobra preying on Tawny Cat Snake in Nepal. Zoo's Print 35, 8-11. Rawat, Y.B., Bhattarai, S., Poudyal, L.P. and Subedi N. 2020. Herpetofauna of Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12, 15587-15611. Keeling, S.J. and Verheugt, W.J.M. 1995. Red Data Book of the fauna of Nepal. Biodiversity Profiles Project, technical pub. no. 4. Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, HMG, Nepal. Schleich, S.H. and W. Kästle (Eds.). 2002. Amphibians and reptiles of Nepal: biology, systematics, field guide. A.R.G. Gantnerverlag KG, Ruggell, Liechtenstein. PP 1201. Shah, K.B. and Tiwari, S. 2004. Herpetofauna of Nepal: A conservation companion IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Nepal. PP 237. Stuart, B., Wogan, G., Grismer, L., Auliya, M., Inger, R.F., Lilley, R., Chan- Ard, T., Thy, N., Nguyen, T.Q., Srinivasulu, C. and Jelić, D. 2012. Ophiophagus hannah. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e. T177540A1491874. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012- 1.RLTS.T177540A1491874.en. 26 May 2020. Thapa, K.B, Rana, N., and Shah K.B. 2019.Distribution of King Cobra in Nepal. The Himalayan Naturalist2, 26–33.

Whitaker, R. and Captain, A. 2004.Snakes of India: The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai, India. PP. 481.

BIJAY GURUNG

© Friends of Nature, The Himalayan Naturalist, 3(1), 28-30 First Record of King Cobra from Okhaldhunga and Sankhuwasabha Districts, Eastern Nepal 30 Biosketches BIMAL KC is working as an Assistant Forest Officer for the Government of Nepal at DFO Sankhuwasabha. He pursued his KAMAL DEVKOTA is interested in snake ecology, behavior, natural I.Sc. and B.Sc. in Forestry Science from IOF, Pokhara. history and epidemiology. He is running the Save Snakes Save KARAN BAHADUR SHAH is a senior herpetologist and retired Nature project in Nepal to mitigate human-snake conflict in Professor of Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. communities. He is a board member in Nepal Toxinology He is the Chief Scientific Advisor at Himalayan Nature, Association (NTA). Kathmandu, Nepal.

Photographs by CHUNGBA SHERPA

Great Slaty Woodpecker Mulleripicus pulverulentus is a globally vulnerable species found in forest and savanna habitat below 1,100 m. This species has gone extinct from Singapore and possibly China. This photograph was taken in Shuklaphata National Park.

Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus is found in India, Nepal and Pakistan with introduced population in Mexico and United States. It is locally extinct in Bangladesh. These mother and calf were captured in Shuklaphata National Park.

Musk deer Moschus sps. are small deer without antlers. Their musk pod is highly prized which is also why they are highly poached. These deer were captured in Phortse, Sagarmatha National Park.

Genetic analysis has recently provided evidence of two different species of Red Pandas previously lumped under one species Ailurus fulgens. These cute firefoxes love chomping on bamboos, their major diet. This individual was photographed in Cholangpati, Langtang National Park.

Biosketch CHUNGBA SHERPA was born in the Everest region and is based in Kathmandu. He is a wildlife photographer, tourism entrepreneur and conservationist. Email for correspondence: [email protected]

34 Field Notes Predation of Common Tree Frog by Ornate Flying Snake at Satchari National Park, Bangladesh

TANVIR AHMED1*, SABIT HASAN1, and HABIBON NAHER1

1Department of Zoology, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100, Bangladesh *Email for correspondence: [email protected] The Ornate Flying Snake Chrysopelea ornata Shaw, 1802 through the tree branches towards the nearby forest is one of the most spectacular snakes because of its ability patch before disappearing from our sight. During this to glide through the air (Ingle 2010). It is widely observation, the prey didn’t produce any sound and the distributed in South and Southeast Asian countries snake’s head was hanging down with the prey in its however its global status hasn’t been evaluated (IUCN mouth (FIG. 2). The cause of the hanging was not clear. It Bangladesh 2015). There are three recognized subspecies: possibly helped in muscle contraction and extraction C. o. ornata Shaw, 1802 from southwest India, C. o. while swallowing. ornatissima Werner, 1925 in north and east India to Southeast Asia including Bangladesh, and C. o. sinhala Deraniyagala, 1945 which is endemic to Sri Lanka (Samson et al. 2015). Despite being categorized as Least Concern the species is not common in Bangladesh, however, it occurs in different habitat types including deciduous forests, mixed evergreen forests, mangroves and even homestead vegetations (IUCN Bangladesh 2015). The snake is diurnal in nature, predominantly arboreal and known to consume small vertebrates (IUCN Bangladesh 2015). Here we report an opportunistic observation of predation of a Common Tree Frog Polypedates leucomystax Gravenhorst, 1829 by C. ornata at Satchari National Park (24.1263°N, 91.4415°E) - a small mixed evergreen forest (243 hectares) under Sylhet Hills bio-ecological zone of north-east Bangladesh and a part of Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot. P. leucomystax is found in most Asian countries (Diesmos et al. 2004). In Bangladesh, it occurs from the coastal areas to the hilltops, inhabiting both primary and secondary forests, bushes, tree holes, homestead vegetations and human habitations (IUCN Bangladesh 2015). The frog is listed as ‘Least Concern’ both in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh 2015) and global scale

TANVIR AHMED (Diesmos et al. 2004). P. leucomystax is nocturnal in FIG. 1: C. ornata constricting P. leucomystax. nature and becomes active at dusk (IUCN Bangladesh 2015). However, P. leucomystax represents a complex of C. ornata feeds on small vertebrates including poorly known cryptic species and comprehensive frogs, lizards, small snakes, birds, bats, and small rodents taxonomic revision is required (Diesmos et al. 2004). (Diesmos et al. 2004). P. leucomystax is found in all the On 1 October 2017 at 11h35, during non-human potential habitats of C. ornata in Bangladesh (following primate survey, an adult C. ornata was opportunistically IUCN Bangladesh 2015) and a similar observation of sighted predating on an adult P. leucomystax in a predation of P. leucomystax by C. ornata at Satchari bamboo-clump close to human settlement (FIG. 1). The National Park was reported by Babu et al. (2018). It can snake was hanging with its tail coiled around a bamboo be assumed that P. leucomystax is common in C. ornata branch about 6 m above the ground with its body twisted diet but poorly studied. C. ornata has been reported to around the frog to hold and immobilize it. The trunk of predate on fish in India (Melvinselvan and Nibedita 2016). the frog with its hind thighs was caught tightly through We recommend detailed studies on C. ornata diet which frequent constrictions of the snake’s body. At 11h53, with can be interesting considering its wide distribution and a little jerking motion the snake started swallowing the variation of habitats. frog from the head side and completed swallowing it at

12h29. Immediately after, the snake moved towards the adjoining Toon tree Toona ciliata and continued moving

during data collection. Finally, we acknowledge an anonymous reviewer for useful comments to improve the manuscript.

References Babu, M.Q., Shihan, T.R., Debbarma, R. and Debbarma, P. 2018. Chrysopelea ornata (Ornate Flying Snake) Diet. Herpetological Review 49, 544-545. Diesmos, A.C., Alcala, A., Brown, R., Afuang, L.E., Gee, G., Sukumaran, J., Yaakob, N., Ming, L., Chuaynkern, Y., Thirakhupt, K., Das, I., Iskandar, D., Mumpuni, Inger, R.F., Stuebing, R., Yambun, P. and Lakim, M. 2004. Polypedates leucomystax. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T58953A86477485. Ingle, M. 2010. First locality record of Chrysopelea ornata Shaw, 1802 from Kheonae Wildlife Sanctuary, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Reptile Rap 10, 5-6. IUCN Bangladesh. 2015. Red List of Bangladesh Volume 4: Reptiles and Amphibians. IUCN Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka. 320 pp. Melvinselvan, G. and Nibedita, D. 2016. An observation on Fish Predation by Ornate Flying Snake, Chrysopelea ornata Shaw 1802 (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Southern Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. Russian Journal of Herpetology 23, 311-314. Samson, A., Ramakrishnan, B., Santhosh, K.P, Renuka, S., Karthick, S., Chitheena A. and Ilakka. 2015. Occurrence of Golden tree snake in the Nilgiris. Newsletter of the Nilgiri Natural History Society 6.1, 5-6.

Biosketches

TANVIR AHMED has been studying threatened primates in

TANVIR AHMED Bangladesh since 2015. He is interested in ecological adaptation FIG. 2: C. ornata hanging by its tail during feeding. and population genetics of primates in anthropocentric landscapes. SABIT HASAN is a M.Sc. student of Wildlife and Biodiversity Acknowledgements Conservation at Department of Zoology, Jagannath University, Dhaka. He is interested in primate ecology and conservation. We acknowledge The Rufford Foundation, UK (ID 23975- HABIBON NAHER is an Assistant Professor at the Department of 1) and NST Fellowship of the Government of Bangladesh Zoology, Jagannath University, Dhaka. Her research interest for funding the studies on primates. IDEA WILD supported includes behavioral ecology, population ecology, population field equipment to 1st author. Bangladesh Forest genomics, wildlife and biodiversity conservation. Department facilitated the field work and gave research permission (No-22.01.0000.101.23.2017.1859). We thank Rasel Debbarma and Prasenjit Debbarma for helping

SAMUNDRA GHIMEREY SAMUNDRA Pale Grass Blue Pseudozizeeria maha

SAMUNDRA GHIMEREY SAMUNDRA

Jumping Spider Rhene sp.

SAMUNDRA GHIMEREY SAMUNDRA

Nymph of Rice Grasshopper Oxya sp.

SAROJ KHADKA KHADKA SAROJ

Under the starry sky at Rara Lake

SAROJ KHADKA KHADKA SAROJ

Turquoise blue water of Rara Lake

YADAV GHIMIREY/FON NEPAL

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