Crocodylus Palustris) Is Legally Protected Under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act
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WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSIRCF REPTILES • VOL15, &NO AMPHIBIANS 4 • DEC 2008 189 • 25(1):20–25 • APR 2018 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Results. Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophisof cateniferthe sayi) in Wisconsin:2015 Mugger Crocodile On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared(Crocodylus History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis ) palustrisand Humans on Grenada: ) Count at A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198 RESEARCH ARTICLESVadodara, Gujarat, India . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida Raju Vyas .............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 1 Shaswat Flats, Anand Nagar Society, BPC Road, Alkapuri, Vadodara 7, Gujarat, India ([email protected]) CONSERVATION ALERT . World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 Abstract.—This .reportThe “Dow documents Jones Index” of Biodiversity the Mugger ............................................................................................................................... Crocodile census conducted on 20–21 January............ 2015 225 at Vadodara City, Gujarat. This HUSBANDRYis a periodic procedure and part of an ongoing study designed to monitor this urban population with the help of public. Captiveparticipation. Care of the Central The Netted results Dragon show ....................................................................................................... a gradual increase in the Mugger population Shannon Plummer within 226 the demarcated stretch of the River Vishwamitri. The night-count numbers indicated the presence of 250 individuals of various sizes (< PROFILE 1 m to > 4 m in .totalKraig Adler:length). A Lifetime Mugger Promoting Crocodiles Herpetology ................................................................................................ are wild, aquatic, carnivorous animals Michael that L. Treglia have 234 been flourishing in close proximity to humans, allowing for a noteworthy case study of the human-Mugger relationship. However, direct and indirect conflictCOMMENTARY data from the year 2014 are alarming – 24 documented Mugger attacks (12 of which were fatal) . The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238 within the state, seven (three fatal) within the city limits, and 48 Muggers of various sizes rescued from the area. These numbers are indicativeBOOK REVIEW of a unique, complicated, and delicate relationship between humans and crocodiles as a balance is sought between. ThreatenedMugger Amphibians conservation of the World and edited a steadily by S.N. Stuart, rising M. Hoffmann,urban population. J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243 he Mugger or MarshCONSERVATION Crocodile RESEARCH (Crocodylus REPORTS: palustris Summaries) is of PublishedSubsequently, Conservation Research the Reports Mugger ................................. population 245 grew due to legal Ta threatened species NATURAL in India HISTORY and RESEARCHlegally protected REPORTS :under Summaries of Publishedprotection Reports onand Natural the History success ................................. of an ex 247situ program launched Schedule I of the Indian NEWBRIEFS Wildlife ............................................................................................................................... (Protection) Act of 1972. by the Food &....................................................... Agricultural Organization 248 and the Indian EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 During the late 1960s, FOCUS this ON species CONSERVATION dwindled: acrossA Project itsYou entireCan Support ...............................................................................................Government, known as the Indian Crocodile252 Conservation distribution due to increasing threats, such as illegal hunt- Project. With the success of this program, all three Indian ing, fishing, and habitat loss (Whitaker and Andrews 2003). crocodilian species (the Mugger, the Gharial, and the Front Cover. Shannon Plummer. Back Cover. Michael Kern Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Fig. 1. The threatened Mugger or Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) is legally protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. Photograph by Raju Vyas. Copyright © 2018. Raju Vyas. All rights reserved. 20 IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians ISSN 1098-6324 VYAS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 25(1):20–25 • APR 2018 Fig. 2. The study area along the River Vishwamitri in Vadodara City, Gujarat, India. Saltwater Crocodile) recovered from the brink of extinction Objectives (Singh 1999). Nationally, the Mugger is now considered a This census was conducted with the following objectives: (1) ‘vulnerable’ species per IUCN criteria (Da Silva and Lenin To assess the various sizes of Muggers found within the city 2010). Presently, this species can also be identified as conflict- limits, (2) to investigate the reasons behind indirect and direct prone and problematic throughout its entire range, including conflict in order to find appropriate solutions, (3) to provide India (Pillai 1999; VijayaKumar et al. 1999a, 1999b; Jayson population numbers for the species-management program of 2002; Whitaker 2007; CrocBITE 2017) as a result of increas- the local forest department, (4) to use citizen science as a tool ing human-crocodile conflict, blurring the boundaries of the to create awareness of the species through public participa- habitats of both humans and Muggers. tion, and (5) to provide data for the ongoing study intended In the current scenario, Muggers (Fig. 1) are abundant to monitor the urban Mugger population of Vadodara City. in many bodies of water in Gujarat State thanks to legal protection and preservation measures taken by the State Methods Forest Department and NGOs, as well as the development The crocodile survey was conducted on 20–21 January of an expansive network of irrigation canals (Vyas 2008). 2015 along a short stretch (25 km long and roughly 30 m Muggers have entered into human settlements, creating con- wide) of the River Vishwamitri as it flows through the core flicts throughout the state (Vyas 2007), including Vadodara of Vadodara. Methods were those of Vyas and Vyas (2002) City (Vyas 1993, 1994, 2005a, 2005b, 2010a, 2010b). The with a slight modification (Vyas 2010a). This stretch of river Mugger population found in and around Vadodara primarily was further divided into five parts: (1) NH8 to Sama Bridge, occupies the River Vishwamitri (Vyas and Vyas 2002; Vyas (2) Sama to VUDA Bridge, (3) VUDA to Kalaghoda Bridge, 2012). Herein I present the results of the 2015 Mugger count (4) Kalaghoda to Munjmahuda Bridge, (5) Munjmahuda to in Vadodara, Gujarat, which was part of an ongoing study Vadsar Bridge, and (6) Vadsar to Talsat Bridge (Fig. 2), plus and regular monitoring of this population. several reservoirs within the city. All river segments and res- ervoirs were surveyed with the help of the staff of the State Study Area Forest Department (range forest officers and foresters), along The Vishwamitri is a seasonal river, flowing east to west with 50 local wildlife enthusiasts. Participants were divided between two perennial river systems, the Mahi and Narmada. into seven groups; six surveyed the six segments of the river The Vishwamitri originates in the Pavagadh Hills, flows and the seventh surveyed the reservoirs. westward through the city of Vadodara, joins the River Prior to the two-day procedure, all participants were Dhadhar and the River Khanpur (two small tributaries near trained on 19 January 2015 (Fig. 3). Training included brief- the village of Kothawada) and finally empties into the Gulf ings on how to approach animals for croc-counting in the of Khambhat. As the river carves its way through the city of field, how to document observations using the prescribed Vadodara, it becomes an open sewage system carrying enor- data-sheets, and detailed explanations