Habitat Preference and Population Estimates of Indian Pangolin (Manis Crassicaudata) in District Chakwal of Potohar Plateau, Pakistan

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263590727 Habitat preference and population estimates of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in district Chakwal of Potohar Plateau, Pakistan Article in Russian Journal of Ecology · January 2014 Impact Factor: 0.39 · DOI: 10.1134/S1067413614010081 CITATIONS READS 2 391 3 authors, including: Tariq Mahmood Riaz Hussain PMAS - Arid Agriculture University PMAS - Arid Agriculture University 61 PUBLICATIONS 73 CITATIONS 8 PUBLICATIONS 12 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, Available from: Tariq Mahmood letting you access and read them immediately. Retrieved on: 21 June 2016 ISSN 10674136, Russian Journal of Ecology, 2014, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 70–75. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2014. Habitat Preference and Population Estimates of Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in District Chakwal of Potohar Plateau, Pakistan1 Tariq Mahmood, Nausheen Irshad, and Riaz Hussain Department of Wildlife Management, PMAS—Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, 46300 Pakistan email: [email protected], [email protected] Received October 18, 2012 Abstract—Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is a fossorial, “Near threatened” mammalian species occurring in Pakistan and facing a risk of endangerment in its wild habitat. Being nocturnal, ecological data of the species is lacking in the country and in south Asia as well. The current study investigated some ecolog ical parameters of the species like, distribution, habitat analysis, population and food habits in district Chak wal of Potohar Plateau. Illegal trapping and killing by professional nomads for its scales is the main threat to the species in the study area. Keywords: Chakwal, diet, habitat, Indian pangolin, Pakistan, population DOI: 10.1134/S1067413614010081 1 INTRODUCTION information about its ecology and biology including habitat preferences and population estimates. So Pangolin, the “scaly anteater”, has a distinguishing keeping in view the importance of Potohar plateau as characteristic of unique body scales (Aktin, 2004) and an important habitat of the Indian pangolin in the same character is reflected by the name of its order country, the present study assessed its habitat require Pholidota, meaning “the scaled animal”. There are ments and population estimates in the study area. seven extant species of pangolin; three occur in Asia (Manis pentadactyla, Manis crassicauduta and Manis javanica) while the remaining four (Manis gigantea, MATERIALS AND METHODS Manis longicaudata, Manis tricuspis and Manis tem minckii) are found in Africa (Emry, 1970). Indian The current study was conducted in district Chak pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is the only member of wal of Potohar Plateau, that comprises of arid environ Pholidota found in Pakistan. It occurs in and around ment with an average annual rainfall 350–500 mm Sialkot, Jhelum and Gujrat districts in the northwest (Quershi et al. 2009). It is bound by Rawalpindi and of the Punjab and extends across the Salt Range into Attock districts in the north, Jhelum in the east, Kohat district, and also from Attock district upto Mar Khushab in the south and Mianwali in the west. The dan and Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhawah study district includes four smaller administrative (KPK) province. It is also reported from Dadu and units (Tehsils); Chakwal, Talagang, Choa Saidan Shah Lerkana districts of Sindh, and Mekran and Lasbela and Kallar Kahar. The total area of the district is districts of Baluchistan (Roberts, 1997). 6609 square kilometers and it lies between 32°56′ north ° ′ Indian pangolin plays vital economic role in the and 72 54 east. food web by feeding upon termites: a serious insect For determination of the distribution of animal pest of agricultural crops and buildings (Roberts, species in the study area, standard ecological methods 1997). Besides, it is hunted for its flesh, skin and scales (linetransects, field sightings and records of signs) (Nowak, 1991). Despite of great significances, Indian and secondary data collection methods (interviews pangolin is one of the least studied species in the coun with local people and hunters) were employed. Exten try and it faces high risk of extinction in wild habitat sive surveys of the open wild areas of the district were (Wu et al., 2004). Without conservation efforts, its conducted through motor vehicle for presence or population is expected to keep on declining and the absence of animal. Habitat of Indian pangolin was vital species may very soon be lost. For the conserva analyzed at two selected study sites (around Jubair Pur tion of this species, it is mandatory to have baseline and Murreed village) by quantifying trees, shrubs and herbs. The Importance value Index (IVI), for tree spe 1 The article is published in the original. cies was calculated by using “Point Centered Quarter” 70 HABITAT PREFERENCE AND POPULATION ESTIMATES OF INDIAN PANGOLIN 71 33°0′0′′N 2 3 1 6 5 10 7 8 4 11 13 9 12 32°40′0′′N Ch ina Legend an N st ani fg Study Area Sites WE A Pakistan Chakwal Distric ia 32°20′0′′N d Iran n S I Decimal Degrees Arabian Sea 0 0.15 0.30 0.60 72°0′0′′E 72°20′0′′E 72°40′0′′E 72°0′0′′E 72°20′0′′E Fig. 1. Map of Pakistan showing location (circle) of the study district Chakwal and distribution of Indian pangolin in the different areas of the study district. Numbers representing the different areas where the animal was found distributed during surveys: 1. Chakwal city, 2. Talagang road (M–2), 3. Talagang road, 4. Kallar Kahar road, 5. Bhaun, 6. Jabairpur, 7.Choa Saidan Shah, 8. Sehgal Abad, 9. Kallar kahar, 10. Bhaun Chowk, 11. Khokhar Zer dam, 12.Basharat Hills, 13. Talagang. method following Cottom and Cartis (1956) while Overall, the animal species was found evenly distrib “Quadrate Method” (Emlen 1956 and Schemnitz uted in Chakwal district probably due to some partic 1980), was used for estimating shrubs and herbs spe ular ecological features which were noticeable includ cies (transect length of 100 m long and 25 m wide on ing firstly, the soil of the area was soft and semisandy either side for tree species, quadrate of 4 × 4 m for and suitable for digging burrows. Secondly, ants and shrub species and 1 × 1 m for herb species were estab termites colonies were found abundantly in all study lished). The population of Indian pangolin was esti sites which are the main prey items of Indian pangolin. mated at seven selected sites, in the established Thirdly, some water source was definitely present in transects by counts of active living permanent burrows the area in the form of freshwater streams and ponds of the animal (Southwood, 1966 and Begon 1979). where the animal species was recorded. There is little Burrow characteristics like average diameter and known about the natural history of Indian pangolin, depth of both feeding and living burrows were also but records are from various types of tropical forests, recorded. open land, grasslands, in addition to in close proximity to villages (Zoological Survey of India, 1994). Habitat of the Jubairpur site (study site–I) was of RESULTS AND DISCUSSION mixed type, consisting of cultivated lands as well as As shown in distribution map, the animal species is wild areas. A total of six tree species were recorded found uniformly distributed in district Chakwal, with maximum Importance Value Index (IVI) for Aca including all four Tehsils; Chakwal, Kallar kahar, sia nilotica (IVI = 96.61) while least for Eucalyptus Choa saiden Shah and Talagang (Fig. 1). While In species (IVI = 18.93) (Table 1). At study siteII (Mur areas of Tehsil Choa Saiden Shah, especially around reed site), habitat consisted of large cultivated fields and Basharat hills, its occurrence was recorded at high ele some wild area around. Most dominating tree spp. was vations approximately at 2300 ft asl (above seas level). Ziziphus mauritiana having an IVI = 128.60, and least According to Roberts (1997), Indian pangolin is well IVI (12.79) was found for Capparis decidua (Table 1). adapted to desert regions but is locally distributed in Three shrub species were recorded at Jubair pur site Pakistan and it prefers more barren hilly districts. (site–I) where Ziziphus nummularia constituted high It occurs in the subtropical thorn forests of Potohar (60.5) relative cover (Table 1). Whereas, five shrub spe Plateau as well as the Salt Range and extends up to cies occurred at siteII (Murreed) with highest relative 2500 ft elevation in the Rawalpindi foothills. Whereas cover (42.5) for Ziziphus nummularia (Table 1). At Hutton, (1949) had reported the occurrence of JubairPur (site–I), the vegetation cover of seven herb pangolin at the elevation of 2300 m (7545 ft) in India. species was found with Cyprus rotundus having maxi RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY Vol. 45 No. 1 2014 72 MAHMOOD et al. Table 1. Density (per ha for trees, per 4 m2 for shrubs and per m2 for herb species), frequency, relative cover and IVI of trees, shrubs and herb species analysed at two selected study sites (Jubairpur and Mureed) in the habitat of Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in district Chakwal SITEI (Jub airpur) Plant Sr. Relative Relative Relative Tree species Density IVI species No. Density Frequency Cover 1 Ziziphus mauritiana 1.97 25 25 23.63 73.63 Trees 2 Dalbergia sissoo 0.66 10 16.6 9.62 36.2 3 Acasia nilotica 2.96 30 25 41.61 96.61 4 Euclyptus 0.33 5 8.3 5.63 18.93 5 Tamarix aphylla 0.33 10 8.3 9.62 27.92 6

Load more