Fauna of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary

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Fauna of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary Conservation Area Series : 37 Fauna of Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary Edited by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata ~m Zoological Survey of India Kolkata CITATION Editor-Director. 2008. Fauna of LOllar Wildlife Sallctuary, Cons~rvation Area Series, 37 : 1-208. (Publishd by the Director, Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata). Published : December, 2008 ISBN : 978-81-8171-203-5 © Govt. of India, 2008 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • No part of this ptlblication may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. • This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of without the publisher's consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which, it is published. • The correct price of this publication is the price printed on this page. Any revised price indicated by a rubber stamp or by a sticker or by any other means is incorrect and should be unacceptable. PRICE Indian Rs. 400.00 Foreign $ 30 £ 25 Published at the Publication Di vision, by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, 234/4 AJ .C. Bose Road, 2nd MSO Building, Nizam Palace (13th floor), Kolkata - 700 020 and printed at Krishna Printing Works, Kolkata - 700 006. Fauna of FAUNA OF LONAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Conservation Area Series No. 37 2008 Pages 1-208 CONTENTS 1. AN OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 1-15 Anil Mahabal 2. MAMMALIA .......................................................................................................... 17-28 M. S. Pradhan and S. S. Talmale 3. AVES .................................................................................................................. J •• 29-1 00 ~nil Mahabal, P. M. Vyawahare and Sachin R. Patil 4. REPTILIA ............................................................................................................ 101-105 M. S. Pradhan 5. AMPHIBIANS .................................................................................................... 107-111 Satish S. Kamble 6. MOLLUSCA ........................................................................................................ 113-123 S. G. PatH 7. ROTIFERA .......................................................................................................... 125- 127 S. G. PatH 8. OSTRACODS ...................................................................................................... 129-) 31 S. G. Patil and S. S. Talmale 9. ARACHNIDA : SCORPIONIDA, ARANEAE AND OPILIONES ................ 133-153 D. B. Bastawade 10. CHILOPODA: SCOLOPENDROMORPHA ................................................... 155-158 P.M. Sureshan and B.E. Yadav 11. INSECTA: ODONATA ..................................................................................... 159-167 P.P. Kulkarni and S.S. Talmale 12. PTEROMALIDAE : CHALCIDOIDEA : HYMENOPTERA : INSECTA .... 169-179 P.M. Sureshan ) 3. INSECTA : LEPIDOPTERA : RHOPALOCERA AND GRYPOCERA ........ ) 81-190 R.M. Sharma 14. ECOLOGICAL PROFILE OF IMPACT - CRATER LAKE, LONAR ........... 191-208 S. Z. Siddiqi Zool. Surv. India Fauna of Lona,. Wildlife Sanctuary, Conservation Area Series, 37 : ] -] 5, 2008 AN OVERVIEW ANIL MAHABAL Zoological Survey of India, Western Regional Statio", Rawet Road, peNT Post, Pune 411 044. INTRODUCTION Lonar crater is believed to be formed out of the impact of a large meteoric body about 50 to 60 thousand years ago. Buldhana District Gazetteer, (Kunte (Ed.), 1976) gives detailed account of Lonar crater and lake. Mythology associated the crater with the underground abode of demon Lonasura, who was killed by Lord Vishnu. The scientitic studies carried out in recent times attribute the probable origin of Lonar crater by the impact of a large Inctcoric body. Energy equivalent to the explosion of a six-megaton atom bomb would have been generated by the impact. The crater was noticed by an Englishman, C J E Alexander in 1823, who recorded its existence. In 1896, American geologist G.K. Gilbert conducted studies to prove that Lonar crater was created by the meteorite impact, the results of which were published in 1973 (Anon. 1999). Present Status : The crater had been the place of tourist attraction and a study site for people with scientitic interest. In recent times, Maharashtra Governmcnt constructed a tourist resort for promotion of tourism. Western Regional Station of the Zoological Survey of India surveyed the area from 2002 to 2004 and conducted faunistic studies of this unique ecosystem. It was noticed that people of village Lonar, used to axe ~he trees and shrubs on the bank and the slopes of the crater to meet their fuel needs. A large freshwater strealn mixed with polluted water of nearhy drainage empties in to the crater. This could have caused permanent datnage to the ecosystc;o. Heavy increase in the water level of the crater was already noticed as compared to that existed in 1970's when one of the officers of the survey (Dr. S.G. Patil) visited the crater for scientific studies. Dr. Patil had seen large portion of the bottom of the crater exposed in summer, and deposition of the solid salt over it. He measured salinity of the water to be 14. Presently it has depleted to 10 to 11. Water has risen to such a height that surrounding trees and temples are almost submerged throughout the year. The Government of Mahr lshtra, declared an area of 383.32 hectors including the crater lake and its surrounding as' onar Wildlife Sanctuary, vide their Order No. WLP/ I 089/FK 48/F 1 Dated 8th June 200' 2 Fauna of LOllar Wildlife Sanctuary, Conservation Area Series, 37 MAP OF LONAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (BUlDHANA DISTRICT) , , , , , , , " , METEOR DIRECTION I ", l ./ , TEMPLE f;'? , J MUNGLA• ~ MAHADEO TEMPLE fi If -LAKE WATER N • MAHABAL : All Overview 3 Location. and Area : Lonar crater is situated in District Buldhana of Maharashsra Stale (19° 59' N : 76° 34' E), 165 Kms. eastwards to Aurangabad~ which is the nearest air port. Lonar can be reached by road from other districts also, viz. Ja]na, ] 05 Kms.; Akola, ] 50 Kms· and Parbhani 185 Kms. Accolnlnodation : Accommodation near the Lonar crater is available. The Maharashtra State, Forest Department and Public Works Departments have small rest houses. Drinking water in summer months is a scarcity, and is to be fetched from the distribution tank of the municipal corporation. The Tourism Development Corporation of Maharashtra Government has a tourist centre. Accommodation can be booked through tourist centers frOln all over Maharashtra. Some hotels and lodges are also available in Lonar town. GEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL FEATURES The Lonar crater has almost a circular outline of about 1830 meter diameter and a depth of 150 meters, with vertical slopes. It has a rim, characteristic of meteorite craters, rising to a height of 20 meters above the surrounding ground level. The crater is created in the basalt rock and is the second largest crater in such a rock in the world. The plagioclase felspar in the basaltic rock was transformed to maskeJnite, which is possible only after the pressure created by the meteoric impact. During 1972 to 1976 the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, U.S.A. and Geological Survey of India excavated salnplcs of the rock froln base of the crater and established presence of InaskaJite in it. The crater has five distinguishahle zones. 1) The outcflnost ejecta blanket or the slightly elevated periphery of the crater fOflned by the Inolten lava which was ejected out of the crater as a result of the meteorite impact. 2) The crater rim or an elevated crest around the crater resulted from the upward lifting of rock beds due to the impact 3) The slopes of the crater 4) The crater basin and 5) The Crater Lake formed by accumulation of water in the deeper parts of the basin. SEASONS The area experiences four distinct seasons in the year. The Rainy season due to South­ West Monsoon from June to September; Post - Monsoon in October-November Winter froln December to February and Summer from March to June. Average annual rainfall in the Buldhana District is 796.6 mm. and mean maximum and minimum telnperatures are 27.60 C and 15.1° C respectively. 4 Fauna of LOllar Wildlife Sanctua1)~ Conservation Area Series, 37 WATER SOURCE "Rain Water" is the only source of water accumulated in the crater. However, a small stream with its possible origin in the near vicinity flows perennially from the northern wal1 of the crater. The stream has recently been diverted to the outside area. In recent years water level of the crater has risen considerably which might be due to shifting of ground water table. FOLRA The slopes of crater were devoid of any noticeable vegetation as indicated in the past records. Plantation mainly by the forest departlnent has given it a green look at least on the periphery of the water. The principal vegetation of the area is of a dry deciduous type, mainly of Acacia nilofica trees, thorny bushes and di fferent types of grasses. Teak, Neeln, Acacia species and Babul are the other trees of comlnon occurrencc. The eastcrn and western parts of the crater are covered with teak forests. The southern and southeastern parts of the crater represent natural forest vegetation with considerable undergrowth. There is a patch of about 22 hectares of land under cultivation. Different vegetables, crops like hanana and fruit trees like lemon, papaya
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