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ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 6 (2014) pp. 742-74 http://www.ijcmas.com

Original Research Article Diversity, Threats and Conservation of Herpetofauna in Shivaji University Campus, Kolhapur, Maharashtra,

Omkar V. Yadav*, S. R. Yankanchi and Amol M. Patil

Department of Zoology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur-416 004, India *Corresponding author

A B S T R A C T

The present study is conducted in Shivaji University campus during July 2012 to Dec 2013. Shivaji University, Kolhapur (SUK) situated at South-West of Maharashtra at 16°40 31.81 N and 74° 15 12.10 E. It covers an area of about 853 K e y w o r d s hectare and the major area is covered with natural vegetation. During the survey, we reported 34 species of herpetofauna, which represents about 4.25% of all known and reptiles from India. All reported species belongs to 30 genera Conservation, distributed among the 6 families of amphibia in which Ramanella marmorata is Diversity, endangered and Raorchestes bombayensis is vulnerable and 10 families of Herpetofauna, reptilian. The SUK campus is confronting various degrees of threats due to human SUK, disturbances including habitat destruction by cutting grass for cattle feed, setting Threats fire to the grasslands, cutting big trees and therefore relative abundances of the above mentioned herpetofauna is low due to above mentioned threats. Therefore, immediate conservation actions are recommended and specific attention must be paid over restoration of open areas with fast growing plants and control over fire settings in grasses.

Introduction

Amphibians and Reptiles play an salamander (Dinesh et al. 2013). The important role in the ecosystem as links in amphibians of the Western Ghats are food chains, bio-monitors in controlling diverse and unique, with more than 80% insect pests and also as excellent of the 181 species being ecological indicators owing to their high endemic to the region (Radhakrishnan & degree of sensitivity to even a slight Rajmohana 2012). 518 species of reptiles change in the environment (Lips 1998; which includes 3 species of crocodiles, 34 Roy 2002; Daniels RJR 2003). species of turtles and tortoises, 202 species of lizards and 279 species of snakes India harbors 342 species of amphibians belonging to 28 families recorded till date which includes 306 species of anura, 35 from India (Aegnals et al. 2012), among species of gymnophiona and 1 species of which Western Ghats comprise 203

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Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2014) 3(6) - species with 61% (124 spp.) endemism from active searches basking reptiles were (Radhakrishnan & Rajmohana 2012). also observed during day time and snakes Shivaji University situated in outskirts of were surveyed by rescue calls also so as to Kolhapur city adjacent to Western Ghats. include most of the species in campus. In the present study, an attempt has been were also surveyed on the basis of made to document the diversity of their calls between 19.30-22.30 hr aided herpetofauna in Shivaji University, by torchlight. Species were measured Kolhapur (SUK) campus. (Snout-vent length) and released back. All species encountered are identified up to Study area species level using keys and other publications (Gunther 1864; Boulenger The present study was conducted in 1890; Smith 1931, 1935, 1943; Dutta Shivaji University; Kolhapur (SUK) 1997; Bossuyt 2002; Daniels 2002; situated at South-West of Maharashtra at Daniels RJR 2005; Giri & Bauer 2008; 16°40 31.81 N and 74°15 12.10 E, in the Whitaker & Captain 2008; Aengals et al. outskirts of historic Kolhapur city and is at 2012; Gururaja 2012) and the assessment altitude of 607 m above msl The campus of threat status of the observed species in has a total area of 853 acre and the major the area was based on IUCN red list habitats include garden lands, botanical (2013). garden, plantations of Australian acacia, Terminalia spp., Saraca asoka, Gliricidia, Results and Discussion guava, Zizyphus etc. SUK campus enjoys a moderate climate. The climate is tropical A total of 20 species of Reptiles belonging with three distinct seasons, viz., the to 10 families are distributed over 18 monsoon (mid June to October), winter genera. Studies on the amphibians (October to February) and summer (March revealed that the presence of 14 species to mid June). The southwest monsoon is belonging to 6 families are scattered over irregular and erratic. The temperature has 12 genera including one endangered a relatively narrow range between 10 °C to species (R. mormorata) and two 35 °C. Average rainfall for last five years Vulnerable species (R. bombayensis & U. is 1967.32 mm (Hydromet division, India phipsonii) (Table 1). meteorological department). There is no Herpetofaunal study so far in Shivaji The family-wise distribution of University campus. Amphibians of SUK campus is given in Fig. 2. Family Dicroglossidae dominated Materials and Methods the amphibian fauna of SUK campus with 5 species followed by 4 A detailed survey of herpetofauna was species, Rhacophoridae 2 species, st st conducted from 1 July 2012 to 31 Bufonidae, Ranidae and Ichthyopidae with December 2013. The conducted survey a single species. In reptiles, more number was done by opportunistic field is observed from family Colubridae with 8 observations. Active searches were made species followed by Gekkonidae, by walking across small streams and Scincidae & Elapidae with 2 species and roads, turning rocks, gleaning leaf litters, Bataguridae, Agamidae, Typhlopidae, prodding bushes, wood logs, rock crevices Uropeltidae, Boidae & Viperidae with and observing walls of buildings etc. Apart single species (Fig.3).

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Table No.1 Checklist of Herpetofaunal species in Shivaji University campus, Kolhapur (MH) India IUCN Sr.No. Species Scientific name Family status Amphibians Common Indian Duttaphrynus melanostictus 1 Bufonidae LC Toad (Schneider, 1799) Indian skittering Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis (Schneider, 2 Dicroglossidae LC 1799) Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin, 3 Indian bull frog Dicroglossidae LC 1802) Indian burrowing Sphaerotheca breviceps (Schneider, 4 Dicroglossidae LC frog 1799) Fejervarya limnocharis (Gravenhorst, 5 Indian Rice Frog Dicroglossidae LC 1829) Zakerana syhadrensis (Annandale, 6 Syhadra frog Dicroglossidae LC 1919) Ornate narrow- Microhyla ornata (Dumeril and 7 Microhylidae LC mouthed frog Bibron, 1841) Red narrow- 8 Microhyla rubra (Jerdon, 1854) Microhylidae LC mouthed frog Marbled 9 Ramanella mormorata Rao, 1937 Microhylidae EN Ramanella Indian balloon 10 globulosus (Gunther, 1864) Microhylidae LC frog 11 Fungoid frog Hylarana malabarica (Tschudi, 1838) Ranidae LC 12 Chunam tree frog Polypedates maculatus (Gray, 1834) Rhacophoridae LC Raorchestes bombayensis 13 Bombay bush frog Rhacophoridae VU (Annandale, 1919) Ichthyophis bombayensis Taylor, 14 Bombay caecilian Ichthyophiidae LC 1960 Reptiles Melanochelys trijuga 15 Indian black turtle Bataguridae LR/NT (Schweigger,1812) Indian garden 16 Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1812) Agamidae LR/NT lizard Brook s house 17 Hemidactylus brookii Gray, 1845 Gekkonidae LC gecko Yellow green Hemidactylus flaviviridis Rüppell, 18 Gekkonidae LC house gecko 1835 Common keeled 19 Eutropis carinata (Schneider, 1801) Scincidae LC skink Three-lined grass Eutropis trivittata (Hardwicke & 20 Scincidae LC skink Gray, 1827) Brahminy worm Ramphotyphlops braminus (Daudin, 21 Typhlopidae LR/NT snake 1803) Phipson s 22 Uropeltis phipsonii (Mason, 1888) Uropeltidae VU shieldtail

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Gongylophis conicus 23 Common sand boa Boidae NA (Schneider,1801) Common trinket Coelognathus helena helena 24 Colubridae LR/NT snake (Daudin,1803) 25 Indian Rat snake Ptyas mucosa (Linnaeus,1758) Colubridae LR/NT Common kukri 26 Oligodon arnensis (Shaw,1802) Colubridae LR/NT snake Common wolf 27 Lycodon aulicus (Linnaeus,1754) Colubridae LR/NT snake 28 Striped keelback Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus,1758) Colubridae LR/NT Checkered Xenochrophis piscator 29 Colubridae LC keelback (Schneider,1799) Macrophistodon plumbicolor 30 Green keelback Colubridae NA (Cantor,1839) Common vine 31 Ahaetulla nasuta (Lacepede,1789) Colubridae LR/NT snake Common Indian 32 Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider,1801) Elapidae LR/NT krait 33 Spectacled cobra Naja naja (Linnaeus,1758) Elapidae LR/NT Daboia russelii (Shaw & 34 Russell s viper Viperidae LR/NT Nodder,1797)

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Figure 2 Family wise distribution of Amphibian species in SUK campus

Figure 3 Family wise distribution of Reptilian species in SUK campus

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Odyssey Publishing House, Bhubaneswar. SUK campus is confronting various pp. xiii+342. degrees of anthropogenic stress. Cuttings Giri V. B. & A. M. Bauer (2008). A new auctioned grass before ending of rainy ground-dwelling Hemidactylus (Squamata: season destroys the natural habitat of Gekkonidae) from Maharashtra, with a key Herpetofauna & these individuals easily to the Hemidactylus of India. Zootaxa get predated by their natural enemies as 1700: 21 34. well as by human beings. The grass Gunther C.L.C Albert (1864). The Reptiles of British India. Published by Oxford & IBH bidders constantly set fires to these Publishing Co. New Delhi. Pp 452. grasslands; this not only destroys the Gururaja K. V. (2012). Pictorial Guide to Frogs habitat but also directly kills herpetofaunal and Toads of the Western Ghats. Gubbi species. We found that, cutting of some Labs Publication, xviii +154. large trees destroys the habitat of tree Lips, K.R. (1998). Decline of a tropical montane frogs & bush frogs. In addition, predation amphibian fauna. Conservation Biology may also be another contributing factor for 12:106 117. decline of Herpetofauna as most of Radhakrishnan, C. & K. Rajmohana (2012). campus area is rich in predatory birds such Fauna of ecosystems of India-Western as peacock & other birds at the time of Ghats. Director, ZSI, Kolkata, India, pp. field observations. 14. Roy, D. (2002). Amphibians as environmental sentinels. Journal of Bioscience 27:187- References 188. Smith, M.A. (1931). The fauna of British India Aengals, R., V.M. Sathish Kumar & M. J. Palot including Ceylon and Burma: Reptilia and (2012). Updated Checklist of Indian Amphibia. Vol.1.Loricata, Testudines. Reptiles. Taylor and Francis, London. (Reprinted Bossuyt, F. (2002). A new species of Philautus 1974, 1995 by Today and Tomorrow s (Anura: Ranidae) from the Western Ghats Printers and Publishers, New Delhi). of India. Journal of Herpetology Smith, M. A. (1935). The fauna of British India 36(4):656 661. including Ceylon and Burma: Reptilia and Boulenger, G.A. (1890). The fauna of British Amphibia. Vol II. Sauria. Taylor and India including Ceylon and Burma: Francis, London. (Reprinted 1974, 1995 by Reptilia and Batrachia,.London, pp. Today and Tomorrow s Printers and viii+541. Publishers, New Delhi). Daniels, J.C (2002): The book of Indian Reptiles Smith, M. A. (1943). The fauna of British India and Amphibians, Bombay Natural History including Ceylon and Burma: Reptilia and Society and Oxford University Press. Amphibia. Vol III. Serpentes. Taylor and Mumbai Francis, London. (Reprinted 1974, 1995 by Daniels, R.J.R. (2003). Impact of tea cultivation Today and Tomorrow s Printers and on anurans in the Western Ghats. Current Publishers, New Delhi). Science 85:1415-1422. Veith, M., S Lotters, F. Andreone & M.O. Rodel Daniels, R.J.R. (2005). Amphibians of (2004). Measuring and Monitoring peninsular India. Indian Academy of Amphibian Diversity in Tropical Forests Sciences, Universities Press, Hyderabad II. Estimating Species Richness from Dinesh, K.P., C. Radhakrishnan, K.V. Gururaja, standardized transect censing. Ecotropica K. Deuti & G. Bhatta (2013). A Checklist 10: 85 99. of Amphibia of India with IUCN Red list Whitaker, R. and A. Captain (2008). Snakes of Status. Updated till April 2013. India. The Field Guide. Draco Dutta, S.K. (1997). Amphibians of India and Sri Books.Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, Lanka (checklist and bibliography). xiv+479.

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