Journal ofThreatened JoTT Building evidence forTaxa conservation globally 10.11609/jott.2020.12.5.15535-15674 www.threatenedtaxa.org 26 April 2020 (Online & Print) Vol. 12 | No. 5 | Pages: 15535–15674 PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) ISSN 0974-7907 (Online); ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Publisher Host Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society Zoo Outreach Organization www.wild.zooreach.org www.zooreach.org No. 12, Thiruvannamalai Nagar, Saravanampatti - Kalapatti Road, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India Ph: +91 9385339863 | www.threatenedtaxa.org Email: [email protected] EDITORS English Editors Mrs. Mira Bhojwani, Pune, India Founder & Chief Editor Dr. Fred Pluthero, Toronto, Canada Dr. Sanjay Molur Mr. P. Ilangovan, Chennai, India Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society & Zoo Outreach Organization (ZOO), 12 Thiruvannamalai Nagar, Saravanampatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, Web Design India Mrs. Latha G. Ravikumar, ZOO/WILD, Coimbatore, India Deputy Chief Editor Typesetting Dr. Neelesh Dahanukar Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, Maharashtra, India Mr. Arul Jagadish, ZOO, Coimbatore, India Mrs. Radhika, ZOO, Coimbatore, India Managing Editor Mrs. Geetha, ZOO, Coimbatore India Mr. B. Ravichandran, WILD/ZOO, Coimbatore, India Mr. Ravindran, ZOO, Coimbatore India Associate Editors Fundraising/Communications Dr. B.A. Daniel, ZOO/WILD, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India Mrs. Payal B. Molur, Coimbatore, India Dr. Mandar Paingankar, Department of Zoology, Government Science College Gadchiroli, Chamorshi Road, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra 442605, India Dr. Ulrike Streicher, Wildlife Veterinarian, Eugene, Oregon, USA Editors/Reviewers Ms. Priyanka Iyer, ZOO/WILD, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641035, India Subject Editors 2016–2018 Fungi Editorial Board Ms. Sally Walker Dr. B. Shivaraju, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Founder/Secretary, ZOO, Coimbatore, India Prof. Richard Kiprono Mibey, Vice Chancellor, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya Dr. R.K. Verma, Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, India Dr. Robert Lacy Dr. V.B. Hosagoudar, Bilagi, Bagalkot, India Department of Conservation Biology, Chicago Zoological Society (also known as Dr. Vatsavaya S. Raju, Kakatiay University, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India the Brookfield Zoo), Brookfield, Illinois 60513 USA; and Committee on Evolutionary Dr. D.J. Bhat, Retd. Professor, Goa University, Goa, India Biology, University of Chicago Plants Dr. Russel Mittermeier Executive Vice Chair, Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia 22202, USA Dr. G.P. Sinha, Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, India Dr. N.P. Balakrishnan, Ret. Joint Director, BSI, Coimbatore, India Prof. Mewa Singh Ph.D., FASc, FNA, FNASc, FNAPsy Dr. Shonil Bhagwat, Open University and University of Oxford, UK Ramanna Fellow and Life-Long Distinguished Professor, Biopsychology Laboratory, Prof. D.J. Bhat, Retd. Professor, Goa University, Goa, India and Institute of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru, Karnataka 570006, India; Dr. Ferdinando Boero, Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Dr. Dale R. Calder, Royal Ontaro Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Bangalore; and Adjunct Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore Dr. Cleofas Cervancia, Univ. of Philippines Los Baños College Laguna, Philippines Dr. F.B. Vincent Florens, University of Mauritius, Mauritius Dr. Ulrike Streicher, DVM Dr. Merlin Franco, Curtin University, Malaysia Wildlife Veterinarian / Wildlife Management Consultant, 1185 East 39th Place, Eugene, Dr. V. Irudayaraj, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, India OR 97405, USA Dr. B.S. Kholia, Botanical Survey of India, Gangtok, Sikkim, India Dr. Pankaj Kumar, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden Corporation, Hong Kong S.A.R., Stephen D. Nash China Scientific Illustrator, Conservation International, Dept. of Anatomical Sciences, Health Dr. V. Sampath Kumar, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, West Bengal, India Sciences Center, T-8, Room 045, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, Dr. A.J. Solomon Raju, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India USA Dr. Vijayasankar Raman, University of Mississippi, USA Dr. B. Ravi Prasad Rao, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantpur, India Dr. Fred Pluthero Dr. K. Ravikumar, FRLHT, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Toronto, Canada Dr. Aparna Watve, Pune, Maharashtra, India Dr. Qiang Liu, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Yunnan, China Dr. Martin Fisher Dr. Noor Azhar Mohamed Shazili, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Senior Associate Professor, Battcock Centre for Experimental Astrophysics, Cavendish Malaysia Laboratory, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK Dr. M.K. Vasudeva Rao, Shiv Ranjani Housing Society, Pune, Maharashtra, India Prof. A.J. Solomon Raju, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India Dr. Ulf Gärdenfors Dr. Mandar Datar, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, Maharashtra, India Professor, Swedish Species Information Center, SLU, Uppsala, Sweden Dr. M.K. Janarthanam, Goa University, Goa, India Dr. K. Karthigeyan, Botanical Survey of India, India Dr. John Fellowes Dr. Errol Vela, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France Honorary Assistant Professor, The Kadoorie Institute, 8/F, T.T. Tsui Building, The Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, India University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Dr. Larry R. Noblick, Montgomery Botanical Center, Miami, USA Dr. K. Haridasan, Pallavur, Palakkad District, Kerala, India Dr. Philip S. Miller Dr. Analinda Manila-Fajard, University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines Senior Program Officer, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC/IUCN), 12101 Dr. P.A. Sinu, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala, India Johnny Cake Ridge Road, Apple Valley, MN 55124, USA Invertebrates Prof. Dr. Mirco Solé Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Vice- Dr. R.K. Avasthi, Rohtak University, Haryana, India coordenador do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Rodovia Ilhéus/Itabuna, Km Dr. D.B. Bastawade, Maharashtra, India 16 (45662-000) Salobrinho, Ilhéus - Bahia - Brasil Dr. Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, India continued on the back inside cover Cover: Dorsal view of Pebble Crab Seulocia vittata male from Palk Bay with grey colour pattern. © Sanjeevi Prakash. Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 April 2020 | 12(5): 15535–15546 ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) PLATINUM OPEN ACCESS DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5607.12.5.15535-15546 #5607 | Received 09 December 2019 | Final received 07 April 2020 | Finally accepted 18 April 2020 A r t Prey selection and food habits of the Tiger Panthera tigris i c l (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, e southern Western Ghats, India Bawa Mothilal Krishnakumar 1 , Rajarathinavelu Nagarajan 2 & Kanagaraj Muthamizh Selvan 3 1,2 PG and Research Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), (Affiliated to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli), Mannampandal, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu 609305, India. 1,3 Department of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, R.V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605014, India. 2 Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Department of Psychology, Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Perry Road, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK. 3 Scientist D/Joint Director, Project Elephant, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi, 110003, India. 1 [email protected], 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected] (corresponding author) Abstract: The Endangered Tiger Panthera tigris is the largest felid, distributed over 1.1 million km2 globally. Conservation of Tigers largely depends on the preservation of its natural prey base and habitats. Therefore, the availability of prey and its selection play a major role in the sustainable future of Tigers in the given landscape. The current study assesses the prey selection patterns by Tigers in tropical evergreen forest of the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), southern Western Ghats, India. Density of ungulates was assessed by distance sampling (line transect, N = 21) and diet composition of Tigers was evaluated by analysing their faecal samples (N = 66). The study estimated very low ungulate density (26.87 ± 7.41 individuals km-2) with highest density of Gaur Bos gaurus (9.04 individuals km-2) followed by Wild Boar Sus scrofa (8.79 ± 2.73 individuals km-2), whereas, primate density was quite high (45.89 ± 12.48 individuals km-2), with Nilgiri Langur Semnopithecus johnii having the highest density (38.05 ± 10.22 individuals km-2). About 74.62% of the biomass of Gaur constituted in the Tiger’s diet, consumed lesser than its availability, whereas Sambar constituted 16.73% of the Tiger diet consumed proportionally to its availability. ChitalAxis axis, Muntjac Muntiacus muntjak, and Indian Chevrotain Moschiola indica were not represented in the Tiger’s diet. The current study is the first scientific information on prey selection of the Tiger in KMTR landscape, which will serve as a baseline for its conservation planning and management. Keywords: Faecal analysis, food habits, line transect, prey abundance, prey selection. Editor: Mewa Singh, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India. Date of