Bird Species in Kanjli Wetland
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Contents TIGERPAPER Tail Carriage in Pig-tailed Macaques........................................... 1 Role of Seabuckthorn in the Conservation of Fragile Ecosystems of the Temperate Himalayan Region......................................... 3 Essentials of Protected Area Management in the Philippines...... 4 Executive Summary – Threatened Birds of Asia.......................... 8 Conservation of Wildlife and Its Habitats in Soan Valley............ 12 Status of Tigers in Dibrusaikhowa Biosphere Reserve................. 17 Namdapha Tiger Reserve – Planning for Sustainable Development as a Biosphere Reserve........................................ 22 Ecological Prudence of the Lepchas of Sikkim............................ 28 Bird Species in Kanjli Wetland.................................................... 30 FOREST NEWS APFC is Mongolia Bound!.......................................................... 1 Bringing Back the Forests: Policies and Practices for Degraded Lands and Forests.................................................................. 3 In Search of Excellence in Forest Management........................... 5 Sustainable Forest Management: From Theory to Practice......... 6 New Coordinator for RIL Activities............................................ 7 Toward Effective Watershed and Flood Management................ 8 Not All Trees Grow in Forests.................................................... 9 Vietnamese Foresters Assess Philippine Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) Practices................................................. 11 Criteria and Indicators for Model Forests................................... 12 Understanding Forest Management Certification and Local Auditing Systems in Indochina................................................ 13 Asia-Pacific Forestry Chips and Clips........................................ 15 New RAP Forestry Publications.................................................. 17 FAO Asia-Pacific Forestry Calendar........................................... 18 TAIL CARRIAGE IN PIG-TAILED MACAQUES (Macaca nemestrina) by Anwaruddin Choudhury Introduction (extent of occurrence more than 150,000 km2). The subspecies found in India was earlier Tail carriage in non-human primates makes an designated as M. nemestrina blythii (Pocock, interesting study. Even sub-specific variations 1939), but Fooden (1975) considers it to be are often recognized on the basis of tail carriage, synonymous with leonina and the author has at least as one of the keys to identification. In followed the same practice (Choudhury, 1997). the case of the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina Linn.), the tail carriage is significant In this brief report, the description of tail as is evident from its popular English name. carriage as observed in the wild in Assam, India, Fooden (1975) gave a detailed account of the is contradictory to the existing theory suggested tail carriage of three subspecies of Macaca by Fooden (1975). This is important because the nemestrina. In fact, tail carriage is an important tail carriage is also an important key to sub- key to identification of all three races of the pig- specific identification of M. nemestrina. tailed macaque. M. nemestrina leonina carries its tail arched forward over its back, with the tip The survey of pig-tailed macaques was carried of the tail directed upward and forward, while out throughout northeastern India between 1986 M. nemestrina nemestrina carries its tail arched and 1999. However, detailed observations on rearward, with the tip of the tail directed tail carriage could only be made in the following downward. M. nemestrina pelops carries its tail areas of Assam: Innerline Reserved Forest (RF) almost like the nominate race. Groves (2001) of Cachar district (24°30' N, 92°50' E), has even suggested full species treatment to Garampani and Nambor Sanctuaries (26°25' N, leonina and the tail carriage was one of its 93°50' E) of Karbi Anlong district, Bherjan RF diagnostic features. (27°32' N, 95°23' E), Podumoni RF (27°32' N, 95°19' E) and Borajan RF (27°25' N, 95°22' E) (recently declared a protected area named Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni Sanctuary) in Tinsukia district. The habitat in all the localities was of tropical wet evergreen and semi- evergreen rain forests, on flat plains as well as hills. Results and discussion Fooden (1975) attempted to investigate the anatomical basis for such differences in tail carriage in M. n. leonina and M. n. nemestrina. His materials included embalmed cadavers of 3 adult male M. n. leonina, caudal vertebrae of 3 wild-caught adults (also M. n. leonina) and In India, the pig-tailed macaque is confined to caudal vertebrae of 2 captive sub-adults of M. n. the forests of northeastern India, only south of nemestrina. He observed that the intervertebral the Brahmaputra river (Choudhury, 1988, 1989, joints Ca 4-5, Ca 5-6 and Ca 6-7 in M. n. 1996, 1997). Although not common in its entire leonina are hyperextended to form the anteriorly range in India, it is still widely distributed directed tail flexure, while in contrast, in the Tigerpaper Vol.29:No.1 Jan.-Mar.2002 1 case of M. n. nemestrina these joints are their backs. Had there been such an anatomical ventriflexed to form the proximal part of the basis, they would have always carried their tails downward directed rail flexure, and the arched forward. Thus, perhaps there is no intervertebral joints Ca 7-8 and Ca 8-9 are also orientation of caudal vertebrae. flexed to complete the arch. Acknowledgment However, the recent field studies in Assam seem I thank collectively the many civil and forest to completely reverse Fooden’s (1975) officials and NGOs of northeastern India and a anatomical basis identification. Between 1987 large number of villagers, relatives and friends and 1996, the author observed a few hundred for their assistance. Nur Hussain, Havildar K. wild individuals in the forests of northeastern Das, Dilip, Babul, Chakravary and Hakeem India, especially in Assam. Detailed accompanied me in the field and my thanks to observations of tail carriage could be made of 90 them. I also acknowledge the partial financial individuals. Because of the dense vegetation and assistance from the Assam Science, Technology extreme shyness of the species, details could not and Environment Council in 1990-1994 and the be recorded in many of the cases. Extensive American Society of Primatology in 1994 (for photographs were taken which clearly showed Tinsukia). the tail carriage. References The field observations and photographs show that the tail carriage of these macaques is more Choudhury, A.U. 1988. Priority ratings for similar to M. n. nemestrina and M. n. pelops conservation of Indian primates. Oryx than to M. n. leonina as observed by Fooden 22:89-94. (1975). From long hours of field observation, Choudhury, A.U. 1989. Primates of Assam: their often from dawn to dusk, the author found that distribution, habitat and status. Ph.D. thesis, the males often carry their tails arched forward Gauhati University. 300pp+maps. over their backs, but do not keep it like that all the time. One example of this is when the male Choudhury, A.U. 1996. Survey of primates in some is excited or two males are making threatening parts of eastern and central Assam. Final gestures at each other. This may be dominant report to ASTEC (Assam Science Technology & behavior by an alpha male as has been observed Environment Council), Guwahati. in the rhesus macaque (M. mulatta), where adult males, usually alpha and lone ones, carry their Choudhury, A.U. 1997. Checklist of the mammals nd tails straight and upwards with a curl at the tip, of Assam. Revised 2 Ed. Gibbon Books & which is very distinctive and completely ASTEC, Guwahati. different from other members of the species. In Fooden, J. 1975. Taxonomy and evolution of the case of captive pig-tailed macaques, which liontail and pigtail macaques (Primates: are usually kept in small cages and flocked by Cercopithecidae). Fieldiana: Zoology, 67:1- visitors, they show a greater tendency to carry 169. their tails arched forward, obviously excited due to disturbance and stress. When these macaques Groves, C. 2001. Primate taxonomy. Smithsonian are leisurely strolling, they carry their tails like Institution Press, Washington & London. M. n. nemestrina and M. n. pelops. Pocock, R.I. 1939. The fauna of British India: The present study shows that the anatomical Mammalia, Primates and Carnivora. Taylor & basis for identification as suggested by Fooden Francis, London. (1975) needs a fresh review, as there seems to be Author’s address: The Rhino Foundation for Nature little or no difference in tail carriage among the in N.E. India, c/o The Assam Co. Ltd., G. Bardaloi three races of M. nemestrina, except for the fact Path, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati - 781 021; E-mail: that the subspecies leonina, especially the adult [email protected] males, often carry their tails arched forward over 2 Tigerpaper Vol.29:No.1 Jan.-Mar.2002 ROLE OF SEABUCKTHORN IN THE CONSERVATION OF FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE TEMPERATE HIMALAYAN REGION by Anil K. Choudhary and R.C. Jaggi Introduction particles and stones even on steep slopes (Saklani, 2001). Its extensive root system Seabuckthorn (Hippophae spp.) is a thorny protects the soil against erosion by high velocity temperate bush that grows in temperate climates winds, which are a common feature of cold and is indigenous to the regions of Lahaul and deserts. Thus, the plant is considered to be an Spiti, Kinnaur and some parts of Chamba in effective soil binder