Alarming Population Status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa Macroura (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Ghats, India

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Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Short Communication Alarming population status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Ghats, India

Kiran Thomas & Paingamadathil Ommer Nameer

26 September 2018 | Vol. 10 | No. 10 | Pages: 12350–12356 10.11609/jot.3536.10.10.12350-12356

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Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2018 | 10(10): 12350–12356

Alarming population status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae)

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Ghats, India Short Communication Short ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Kiran Thomas 1 & Paingamadathil Ommer Nameer 2

OPEN ACCESS 1,2 Centre for Wildlife Studies, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala 680656, India 1 [email protected], 2 [email protected] (corresponding author)

Abstract: This study was carried out to assess the populaton of Ratufa Indian borders. These are endemic to certain pockets of macroura in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary located in the Kerala part the Indian subcontnent, with the Indian Giant Squirrel of the southern Western Ghats. The populaton density of Ratufa macroura was estmated to be 15.26 squirrels/km2. The total count (Ratufa indica) distributed in peninsular India, the method, however, gave the populaton range between 11 to 14 Malayan Giant Squirrel Ratufa bicolor in northeastern squirrels. The current populaton estmaton is about 78–85 % lesser than the previous populaton estmaton of the Ratufa macroura India and the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura carried out in 1993 and 2007 respectvely, which is quite alarming. The in peninsular India and Sri Lanka (Menon 2014; following conservaton recommendatons are suggested for the long- Borges 2015; Joshua & Johnsingh 2015). There are term conservaton of R. macroura, which include habitat restoraton to maintain the canopy contguity and regulaton of the pilgrimage and three subspecies of R. macroura. These include R. the tourism actvites in and around the R. macroura habitat. Urgent m. dandolena, which occurs in southern India and Sri steps should also be taken to undertake studies on the genetcs of R. Lanka while R. m. macroura and R. m. melanochra are macroura. It is also suggested that systematc and scientfc monitoring of the populaton of R. macroura be undertaken on a regular basis. endemic to Sri Lanka (Phillips 1981). Ratufa macroura is endemic to southern India (Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Keywords: Hybridizaton, Idukki District, Kerala, line-transect method, Nadu) and Sri Lanka. In India it is known to survive in PHVA, Ratufa indica, riverine habitat, scrub jungle. nine severely fragmented locatons, such as, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Srivilliputhur, Theni Forest Division, Palani Hills, Anamalai Tiger Reserve, The family Sciuridae consists of 285 species of Sirumalai, Thiruvannamalai Forest Division, Hosur Forest squirrels all over the world (Thorington et al. 2012), Division and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (all in Tamil of which the Indian subcontnent harbours 28 species Nadu), the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and Chinnar in 12 genera (Johnsingh & Nameer 2015; Nameer et Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala (Babu & Kalaimani 2014). al. 2015). Among the four giant arboreal squirrels The only known populaton of R. macroura in Kerala is in belonging to the genus Ratufa, three are found within Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The habitat of these

DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3536.10.10.12350-12356 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6E8264BB-C1D8-4DA2-91C6-3B30D17DB7EB

Editor: Justus Joshua, Green Future Foundaton, Tiruchirapalli, India. Date of publicaton: 26 September 2018 (online & print)

Manuscript details: Ms # 3536 | Received 03 June 2017 | Final received 01 July 2018 | Finally accepted 20 August 2018

Citaton: Thomas, K. & P.O. Nameer (2018). Alarming populaton status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Mammalia: Rodenta: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(10): 12350–12356; htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3536.10.10.12350-12356

Copyright: © Thomas & Nameer 2018. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this artcle in any medium, reproducton and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton.

Funding: Kerala Agricultural University.

Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala State Forest department sanctoning the study (No. WL10-947/2013). The Warden Munnar Wildlife Division and the Asst. Wildlife Warden, CWS provided the logistc support. We also thank the Kerala Agricultural University for the fnancial support for the study and the Dean, College of Forestry, KAU for the encouragement. Ponnusamy at Chinnar WS and Akhil Das A, provided excellent support in the feld. The 2011 batch of B.Sc. Forestry students of KAU helped us during the total populaton estmaton of the GGS.

12350 Status of Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar WS Thomas & Nameer giant squirrels in CWS is extremely unique and confned distnct and conspicuous among the surrounding scrub primarily to a narrow stretch of riparian vegetaton along jungle and dry deciduous forests of CWS. The efectve the Pambar and Chinnar rivers and their major tributaries habitat for the R. macroura at CWS is estmated to be (Ramachandran 1993). Perhaps the only long-term less than 2km2. ecological study on the Grizzled Giant Squirrels at the Srivilliputur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Methods Tamil Nadu were by Joshua & Johnsingh (1994), Joshua a. Line transect method: The line transect method et al. (2006), and Raja & Joshua (2006). by Buckland et al. (2001, 2010) was used in this study The R. macroura populaton in India has been to estmate the populaton density of R. macroura. The estmated to be <500 mature individuals. It is also fve transects were repeatedly walked once every month observed that the R. macroura populaton has been for 10 months (5x10=50) thus ffy, 2-km transects were declining at a rate greater than 30% in the last 25 years walked from April 2013 to May 2014. Each transect due to habitat loss and huntng (Molur et al. 2005; was walked by a team of three persons. Each transect Joshua et al. 2008). was walked in the morning, between 06:00–10:00 hr The previous studies on the populaton estmaton and afernoon between 15:00–18.00 hr. Thus, a total of R. macroura at CWS were by Ramachandran (1993) of 200km were walked during the study period. When and Senthilkumar et al. (2007). The populaton data a squirrel was sighted we recorded the cluster size, on a species with restricted range distributon is very which means number of individuals at a tme sighted, crucial in conservaton prioritsaton and there has not perpendicular distance, and azimuths along the transect. been any recent populaton estmaton carried out on The data collected was analysed using DISTANCE the R. macroura in CWS, and hence the present study programme (version 6.2) (Buckland et al. 2004). We was undertaken. evaluated diferent models of detecton probability, viz. uniform, half-normal and hazard rate with three Materials and Methods series adjustment terms and used the minimum Akaike Study area informaton criteria (AIC) as the standard model selecton The study was conducted in Chinnar Wildlife procedure to select the best model for estmatng Sanctuary, which is spread over an area of 90.44km². It density. Apart from the squirrel density, the encounter is located between 10.25–10.350N and 77.08–77.260E in rate (squirrel clusters/km) was also calculated. the Kerala part of the southern Western Ghats, in Idukki b. Total count: The total count of the R. macroura District (Fig. 1). The terrain of Chinnar is undulatng was carried out from seven diferent blocks within CWS. with alttudes varying between 440m and 2,372m . The Whenever a R. macroura was sighted parameters like major vegetaton types found here are, the southern the number of individuals, tme of sightng, habitat and tropical thorn forest (scrub jungle), southern dry mixed tree species on which the squirrel was sighted were deciduous forest (dry deciduous forest), southern recorded. At each of these locatons we walked for 3 to moist mixed deciduous forest (moist deciduous forest), 4h and the number of R. macroura was counted. This tropical riparian fringing forest (riparian forest), was done simultaneously deploying a group of four southern montane wet temperate forest (shola forests) people in each of the seven blocks for two days in the and southern montane wet grassland (grasslands) study area on 22–23 March 2014. (Champion & Seth 1968). The dominant vegetaton c. Regeneraton survey: A regeneraton survey was among these is the dry deciduous forest followed by carried out at the study locatons in the CWS, to fnd scrub jungle which is mainly found in the plains and at out the regeneraton of the vegetaton in the riverine lower alttude. The dry deciduous and scrub jungle, habitats. One hundred quadrats of 100m2 size were together consttute about 70% of the total forest area taken, with 20 each at each of the fve study locatons. in Chinnar. The riparian fringing forests are linearly In each of these quadrats all plants ≥10cm girth at breast distributed and are confned to the rivers Chinnar and height (1.37m) were enumerated, and the informaton Pambar, and their tributaries. Shola forests occupy a such as species of tree, height of the tree in meters small fracton of the total area and are seen only in the and girth at breast height in centmetres were recorded higher reaches of Chinnar, above an alttude of 1800m. (Pascal 1988). Ratufa macroura in CWS is primarily seen only in the riverine forests along the Chinnar and Pambar rivers and their tributaries. The riverine or gallery forests are quite

Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2018 | 10(10): 12350–12356 12351 Status of Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar WS Thomas & Nameer

Figure 1. Locaton map of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

Results Table 1. Density of Grizzled Giant Squirrel estmated using line Populaton density estmaton of R. macroura using transect method and DISTANCE sofware in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats line transect method in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary The R. macroura is a solitary animal and is seen in Parameters Values pairs or as a family party of three individuals only during Efort (distance in km) 200km the breeding season. Number of cluster (group) detectons (n) 85 A total of 85 detectons of the R. macroura were Encounter rate (squirrel clusters/km) 0.21 made during the study period, with an encounter rate Model selected Hazard rate of 0.21 squirrels per km (Table 1). The density of the Minimum Akaike Informaton Criteria 457.07

R. macroura was estmated to be 15.26 squirrels/ Squirrel density / km2 ± Standard Error 15.26±2.96 2 km (SE=2.96). The lower confdence limit was 10.45 Squirrel density 95% Confdence Interval, 10.45±22.30 squirrels/km2 and the upper confdence limit was 22.30 lower limit-upper limit squirrels/km2 (Table 1).

12352 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2018 | 10(10): 12350–12356 40 40 35 40 35 30 40 35 30 25 40 35 Status of Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar WS 30 25 20 Thomas & Nameer 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10

25 20 Individuals of Number 15 10 5

40 20 15 Individuals of Number 10 5 0 35 15 Individuals of Number 10 0-10 5 0 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 10 Individuals of Number 90-100 30 5 0 0-10

Number of Individuals of Number 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 90-100 5 0-10 100 and above 0 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 Girth Class in cm 25 TerminaliaTerminalia arjuna arjuna Mangifera indica Tamarindus90-100 indica Ficus microcarpa Syzygium cumini 0-10 100 and above 0 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 Girth Class in cm 20 Terminalia arjuna MangiferaMangifera indica indica Tamarindus90-100 indica Ficus microcarpa Syzygium cumini 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 Girth Class in cm 100 and above Terminalia arjuna Mangifera indica Tamarindus90-100Tamarindus indica indica Ficus microcarpa Syzygium cumini Number of individuals 15 Girth Class in cm 100 and above Terminalia arjuna Mangifera indica Tamarindus indica FicusFicus microcarpa microcarpa Syzygium cumini Girth Class in cm 100 and above 10 Terminalia arjuna Mangifera indica Tamarindus indica Ficus microcarpa SyzygiumSyzygium cumini cumini Number of Individuals of Number 5 0 Figure. 2 The girth class 0-10 distributon of the selected tree 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 90-100 species at Chinnar WS, Western Girth class in cm Ghats Girth Class in cm 100 and above Terminalia arjuna Mangifera indica Tamarindus indica Ficus microcarpa Syzygium cumini

Table 2. The total count of Grizzled Giant Squirrels at diferent study locatons in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats

Name of the block/ Kootar Churulipet Chambakkadu Athioda Alampety Thoovanam Vannamthura Total date of the count

22-03 2014 1 6 0 3 3 1 0 14 23-03-2014 1 2 4 0 0 1 3 11

The efectve strip width of the riverine habitat used Discussion by the R. macroura was calculated to be 0.04km using Populaton of R. macroura in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary the DISTANCE (6.2) programme. The total length of The populaton density of the R. macroura in CWS the riverine habitat was calculated using the sofware was found to be 15.26 squirrels/km2. The previous QGIS to be 40km. Thus, the efectve habitat for the R. density estmatons of R. macroura from Chinnar were macroura at CWS is estmated to be only 1.6km2. 18-23 squirrels/km2 (Ramachandran 1993) and 64 The total populaton of R. macroura at CWS would be squirrels/km2 (Senthilkumar et al. 2007). The populaton 24 squirrels (15×1.6km2). density estmated during the present study is lower than the previous estmatons. Total count of R. macroura in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary The two census methods that were used in the The summary statstcs of the total count of R. present study to estmate the populaton of the R. macroura is presented in Table 2. A total of only 11 to macroura, indicate that the populaton of the squirrels 14 R. macroura could be counted during the total count. at Chinnar is between 14 and 24 individuals, using The maximum number of R. macroura was sighted in the the total count method and line transect method, Churulipet Block (8 numbers) followed by Alampety respectvely. The previous populaton estmaton of Block (7). the R. macroura was 150 from CWS (Ramachandran 1993), while in another study it was estmated to be Regeneraton of riverine vegetaton 107 squirrels (Senthilkumar et al. 2007). Thus, there has The most preferred fve plant species by the R. been a decline of about 78 to 85%, in the populaton of macroura at Chinnar were Terminalia arjuna, Mangifera the R. macroura, which is quite alarming. Baskaran et indica, Tamarindus indica, Ficus microcarpa and Syzygium al. (2011), however, mentoned that the populaton of cumini (Thomas 2014). The girth class distributon of R. macroura in the Anamalai landscape, including the these fve-plant species is given in Fig. 2. It is evident CWS was 300 individuals. Joshua & Johnsigh (1994) from Fig. 2 that the regeneraton of these tree species is estmated the populaton of R macroura to be between extremely low in CWS. 82 to 115 individuals in the Alagarkoil Valley in the Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, in Tamil Nadu, southern India. The Srivilliputhur Grizzled

Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2018 | 10(10): 12350–12356 12353 Status of Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar WS Thomas & Nameer

Giant Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary may be the stronghold Analysis (PHVA) is also recommended for the long- for the Grizzled Giant Squirrels in its entre range within term conservaton of R. macroura. Joshua & Johnsingh the Western Ghats. (1994), also recommend the need for systematc study In one of the previous populaton estmates, on habitat quality, feeding and breeding ecology of R. Senthilkumar et al. (2007) gave a density fgure of 64 macroura if the squirrel has to be conserved and saved squirrels/km2, which seems to be an over estmaton. from further populaton loss in its range. Senthilkumar et al. (2007) states that “the squirrel density In additon to the above-mentoned threats, was calculated as the total number of squirrel sightngs anthropogenic disturbances in the form of pilgrimage at divided by the survey area” which is a crude method of Churulipet, tourism and road kills also pose conservaton density estmaton and is not as per the standard density challenges to the R. macroura. The disturbances from estmaton protocol proposed by Buckland et al. (2004). the pilgrims and vandals in the riverine vegetaton at Churulipet region should be regulated. This causes Conservaton recommendatons considerable disturbance to the R. macroura, as the The total populaton of the R. macroura (Image riverine vegetaton is the key habitat of these squirrels, 1) in India is estmated to be fewer than 500 mature and thus the pilgrim’s entry to the riverine vegetaton individuals (Molur et al. 2005) and 60% of this populaton should be stopped. To prevent the road kills, regular is believed to be found in Chinnar and adjoining Tamil crossing points have to be identfed and the animal Nadu. Thus, the present fndings, which indicate a should be provided with canopy connectvity using the drastc decline in the populaton of the R. macroura is a artfcial structures like bamboo bridges across the road. mater of grave concern. There are also some ill efects due to the ecotourism This small populaton of the R. macroura at CWS, is ventures, for example, the log houses constructed on faced with the several conservaton challenges, such as the banks of the riverine habitat and the tree top huts, increased predaton risk (Thomas et al. 2017). This could constructed on the top of the trees in the riverine be due to the opening up of the of the canopy in the habitat, could be detrimental to the long-term survival riverine habitat of Chinnar. Moreover, the regeneraton of the R. macroura. of the preferred food plant species of the R. macroura It is also important to undertake regular, systematc is extremely low. The poor regeneraton is because of and scientfc populaton monitoring of R. macroura the heavy grazing by the domestc catle. Thus urgent on a regular basis, at least once a year to understand steps should be initated to curtail the catle grazing the populaton fuctuaton of this extremely small and within the riverine habitat in Chinnar WS. Additonally, dwindling populaton of R. macroura at Chinnar Wildlife habitat restoraton programmes need be initated to Sanctuary. A populaton estmaton of the R. macroura ensure the regeneraton of the most preferred fve plant in its entre range in southern India, also should be species of the R. macroura such as Terminalia arjuna, carried out to ascertain their actual populaton in India. Mangifera indica, Tamarindus indica, Ficus microcarpa and Syzygium cumini urgently. References We saw several possible hybrid individuals (Images 2 & 3) between R. macroura and R. indica. The hybrid Babu, S. & A. Kalaimani (2014). New site record of Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura from Thiruvannamalai Forest Division, individuals were primarily seen in Kootar, Churulipet Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 6(2): and Chinnar-Marayur border. There could be at least 492–5493; htps://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3680.5492-3 three to four hybrids at Chinnar, which is about 17% of Baskaran, N., K. Senthilkumar & M. Saravanan (2011). A new site record of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura (Pennant, the total populaton of Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Detailed 1769) in the Hosur forest division, Eastern Ghats, India and its investgaton on the status of hybrid individuals, reasons conservaton signifcance. 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12354 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2018 | 10(10): 12350–12356 Status of Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar WS Thomas & Nameer

Image 3. Two possible hybrid individuals between Ratufa macroura and R. indica, showing a mix of colours of both R. macroura and © Kiran Thomas R. indica

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September 2018 | Vol. 10 | No. 10 | Pages: 12299–12442 Date of Publicaton: 26 September 2018 (Online & Print) www.threatenedtaxa.org DOI: 10.11609/jot.2018.10.10.12299-12442

Communicatons Inventory of prong-gilled mayfies (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) of India with records of endemic taxa Urban biodiversity: an insight into the terrestrial vertebrate diversity of -- C. Selvakumar, Kailash Chandra & K.G. Sivaramakrishnan, Pp. 12389–12406 Guwahat, India -- Jayaditya Purkayastha, Pp. 12299–12316 First record of a coreid bug Anhomoeus fusiformis Hsiao (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae: Anhomoeini) from India Status of raptors in the Moyar River Valley, Western Ghats, India -- Sadashiv V. More & Hemant V. Ghate, Pp. 12407–12412 -- N.R. Anoop, S. Babu, S. Bharathidasan & R. Nagarajan, Pp. 12317–12327 The gilled mushroom Amanita spissacea (Amanitaceae): a new report for India Species compositon and abundance estmates of reptles in selected -- Hmar Lalrinawmi, John Zothanzama, Benjamin W. Held, agroecosystems in southern Western Ghats, India Josiah M.C. Vabeikhokhei, Zohmangaiha & Robert A. Blanchete, -- Abhirami Mini Jayakumar & Paingamadathil Ommer Nameer, Pp. 12328–12336 Pp. 12413–12417

Comparison of beach profles conducive for turtle nestng in Andaman -- Subramanian Narayani, Sasidharan Venu & Andrea Joan D’Silva, Pp. 12337 Notes –12343 Foraging habits of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in the Himalaya, India Short Communicatons -- Aishwarya Maheshwari, Pp. 12418–12421

A new record of the rare Hardwicke’s Woolly Bat Kerivoula hardwickii First record of Yellow-Rumped Flycatcher Ficedula zanthopygia (Hay, 1845) (Horsefeld, 1824) (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertlionidae) afer 23 years (Aves: Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) in eastern India from a lowland rainforest of Sri Lanka -- Manaranjan Das & Subrat Debata, Pp. 12422–12424 -- Dinesh Gabadage, Gayan Edirisinghe, Madhava Botejue, Kalika Perera, Thilina Surasinghe & Suranjan Karunarathna, Pp. 12344–12349 Additonal feld records provide further resoluton of the distributon of the Water Monitor Varanus salvator (Squamata: Varanidae) in northwestern Alarming populaton status of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura Myanmar (Mammalia: Rodenta: Sciuridae) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, -- Steven G. Plat, Myo Min Win & Thomas R. Rainwater, Pp. 12425–12428 the Western Ghats, India -- Kiran Thomas & Paingamadathil Ommer Nameer, Pp. 12350–12356 The frst record of The Blue Admiral Kaniska canace Linnaeus, 1763 (Nymphalidae: Lepidoptera) from Bangladesh Distributon and populaton status of Sambar Rusa unicolor (Mammalia: -- Amit Kumer Neogi, Md Jayedul Islam, Md Shalauddin, Anik Chandra Mondal & Cetartodactyla: Cervidae) from Aravalli landscape with Safayat Hossain, Pp. 12429–12431 a note on its frst record from Aravalli Hills of Haryana, India -- Paridhi Jain, Anchal Bhasin, Gautam Talukdar & Bilal Habib, Pp. 12357–12362 First record of Hislopia malayensis Annandale, 1916 (Bryozoa: Gymnolaemata) from freshwaters of India Delayed peracute capture myopathy in a Himalayan Ibex Capra sibirica -- Ananta Dnyanoba Harkal & Satsh Sumanrao Mokashe, Pp. 12432–12433 (Mammalia: Cetartodactyla: Bovidae) -- Umar Nazir Zahid, Latef Mohammad Dar, Umar Amin, Showkat Ahmad Shah, An extended distributon record of Western Ghats species Litsea oleoides Rashid Yahya Naqash, Dil Mohammed Makhdoomi, Shayuaib Ahmad Kamil & (Meissn.) Hook.f. (Lauraceae) from Matheran, Maharashtra, India Intesar Suhail, Pp. 12363–12367 -- Radha Veach & Gurumurthi Hegde, Pp. 12434–12438

Checklist of the avifauna of Sagareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, India Notes on Jasminum andamanicum N.P. Balakr. & N.G. Nair (Oleaceae) from -- Sharad Dat Apte, Vijay Bhagwan Tuljapurkar & Girish Avinash Jathar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India Pp. 12368–12375 -- P. Murugan & K. Karthigeyan, Pp. 12439–12441

The rediscovery of Rurk’s Cat Skink Ristella rurkii Gray, 1839 (Reptlia: Ristellidae) with remarks on distributon and natural history Miscellaneous -- Sumaithangi Rajagopalan Ganesh, Pp. 12376–12381 Natonal Biodiversity Authority Member Dietary assessment of fve species of anuran tadpoles from northern Odisha, India -- Syed Asrafuzzaman, Susmita Mahapatra, Jasmin Rout & Gunanidhi Sahoo, Pp. 12382–12388

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