Journal of Research in Biology An International Scientific Research Journal Original Research Population density of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica centralis (Ryley, 1913) in Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India Authors: ABSTRACT: 1 Raju Lal Gurjar , 1* Amol .S. Kumbhar , Jyotirmay Jena1, 1 Information on population and distributional status of Indian giant squirrel Jaya Kumar Yogesh , Ratufa indica centralis is poorly known from central Indian hills. The species is Chittaranjan Dave1, endemic to India and widely distributed in Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Central Ramesh Pratap Singh2, India. In this study using line transect distance sampling we estimated population Ashok Mishra2. density of giant squirrel in Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), which is a major biosphere Institution: reserve in central India that harbors wide variety of rare endemic and endangered 1. WWF - India, Nisha species. Density estimate with total effort of 276km line transect shows 5.5 (± 0.82) 2 Building, Near Forest squirrels/Km . This study provides first baseline information on ecological density Barrier, Katra, Mandla, estimate of Ratufa indica centralis in central Indian landscape. Reduction of Madhya Pradesh, India. anthropogenic pressure should be the first priority for park managers in Satpura Tiger reserve. 2. Field Director Office, Satpura Tiger Reserve, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, India. Corresponding author: Keywords: Amol S. Kumbhar Central Indian landscape, Distance sampling, density estimation, Ratufa indica centralis. Email Id: Article Citation: Raju Lal Gurjar, Amol S. Kumbhar, Jyotirmay Jena, Jaya Kumar Yogesh, Chittaranjan Dave, Ramesh Pratap Singh and Ashok Mishra. Population density of Indian giant squirrel Ratufa indica centralis (Ryley, 1913) in Journal of Research in Biology Research Journal of Satpura National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India. Journal of Research in Biology (2013) 3(7): 1086-1092 Dates: Web Address: Received: 08 Oct 2013 Accepted: 08 Nov 2013 Published: 25 Nov 2013 http://jresearchbiology.com/ documents/RA0387.pdf. This article is governed by the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/2.0), which gives permission for unrestricted use, non-commercial, distribution and reproduction in all medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 1086-1092| JRB | 2013 | Vol 3 | No 7 Journal of Research in Biology An International Scientific Research Journal www.jresearchbiology.com Gurjar et al., 2013 INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS Habitat fragmentation is cited one of the major Study area reason for the decrease in abundance of arboreal The Satpura Tiger Reserve (22°19’ - 22° 30’N mammals and isolation of many species into small and 77° 56’ - 78° 20’E) covers an area of 1427.87 km2 population (Umapathy and Kumar, 2000). Indian Giant (Figure 1) in south east border of Madhya Pradesh state, Squirrel Ratufa indica centralis is a maroon and buff it extends from east to west in the southern part of the colour and is endemic to India with four sub-species. The district Hoshangabad in Satpura ranges of Central Indian conservation status of Indian giant squirrel (IGS) is the landscape. The forest types of satpura tiger reserve “least concern” category of IUCN, Appendix II of consist of southern moist mixed deciduous forest, CITES and Schedule II (part II) of Indian Wildlife southern dry mixed deciduous forest and dry peninsulas (Protection) Act 1972 (Molur et al., 2005). Giant Sal forest (Champion and Seth, 1968). The terrain of squirrels occur across a wide range of natural forests. park is hilly and highly undulating, with dominated tree They have been reported from moist deciduous, dry species such as Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta, deciduous and riparian forests (Datta and Goyal, 1996; Buchanania latifolia, Terminalia arjuna, Emblica Baskaran et al., 2011; Kanoje, 2008; Jathanna officinalis, Madhuca indica and Rauwolfia serpentina. et al., 2008; Srinivas et al., 2008), old mature teak forests The faunal diversity comprises of major carnivore such (Ramachandran, 1988) and teak-mixed forests (Kumara as Tiger (Panthera tigris), Leopard (Panthera pardus), and Singh, 2006). Habitat fragmentation is one of the Dhole (Cuon alpines) and other small carnivores major threats which influence giant squirrel population including Jungle cat (Felis chaus), Palm civet due to its arboreal nature. Throughout India several (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) as well as ungulates such investigators already studied on population status of as Spotted deer (Axis axis), Sambar (Cervus unicolor), Malabar giant squirrel in Western Ghats (Baskaran et al., Wild boar (Sus scrofa), Barking deer (Muntiacus 2011; Ramachandran, 1988; Ganesh and Davidar, 1999; muntjak), Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) and Madhusudan and Karanth, 2002; Kumara and Singh, Common langur (Semnopithecus entellus). In satpura 2006; Jathanna et al., 2008; Ramesh et al., 2009; birds of prey like crested hawk eagle, black eagle and Umapathy and Kumar, 2000). In central India though crested serpent eagle were major predators of Ratufa there are studies available on ecobiology of Ratufa indica centralis (Datta, 1999; Kumbhar et al., 2012). indica centralis (Datta, 1993, 1998, 1999; Datta and Also Mehta (1997) reported leopard attempted to prey on Goyal, 1996; Kanoje, 2008; Kumbhar et al., 2012; giant squirrel. Pradhan et al., 2012; Rout and Swain, 2006) but there is Sampling no study available on status and population density of Line transect methodology was adopted this species from central Indian landscape. (Buckland et al., 2001; Jathanna et al., 2008) and In the current study we tried to estimate distance sampling methodology was used to estimate population densities of Ratufa indica centralis by line population density of giant squirrel in our study area. transect distance sampling (Jathanna et al., 2008) in Field sampling was carried out in the months of Satpura Tiger Reserve of central India. It believes that December to February 2011 – 2012. Dur•ing this period this kind of effort will help forest department to take 39 permanent transects were established in different better management and conservation strategies. habitat types including riparian patches. Each transect was surveyed thrice by well trained observer be•tween 1087 Journal of Research in Biology (2013) 3(7): 1086-1092 Gurjar et al., 2013 Figure 1: Location of Satpura Tiger Reserve in India. 0600–0900 hr. Each transects differed in length, the total efforts of 276km. Analysis were done by fitting average transect length was 2km to 4km. Every time the different detection functions to the observed data for the species was detected group size, sighting distance and estimation of density. Based on minimum AIC value angle of sighting were recorded. Sighting distances were (94.9), half – normal with cosine proved to be the best fit measured using lesser rangefinder and the angle of for giant squirrel data. As giant squirrel is a arboreal sighting was recorded using a liquid filled compass. The species its visibility is very high when we compare it field protocols were followed described in Jhala et al., with other terrestrial animals so detection in uniform (2009). The density of Indian giant squirrel (IGS) was manner is normal, AIC value also supports the model calculated using DISTANCE program version 6.0 (Laake selection. The encounter rate was 0.12 ± 0.06/km et al., 1994). The best model was selected on the basis of walked, IGS known to be a solitary animal, maximum the lowest Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) (Burnham two individuals were recorded in a group and mean et al., 1980; Buckland et al., 1993). group size was calculated as 1.2 ± 0.6 in Satpura Tiger Reserve. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Studies conducted elsewhere on Indian Giant A total of 35 Giant squirrel sights comprising Squirrel (IGS) have shown different estimates of 42 individuals were recorded during the study period in population density (Table. 2). The variation in different Journal of Research in Biology (2013) 3(7): 1086-1092 1088 Gurjar et al., 2013 Detection Probability Detection Perpendicular distance in meters Figure 2: Result of model fitted in the DISTANCE to estimate detection probability and effective strip width of giant squirrel in Satpura Tiger Reserve. estimates in different studies could be due to the different nesting (Kumbhar et al., 2012). Maximum IGS sightings habitat types in the different study areas; also seasonal were recorded in riparian patches of churna, moist and annual variation and observer differences put limits of dry deciduous forest of watch tower and semi-evergreen comparison. The present study is the first attempt to forest of Nimghan to pachmarhi. A viable population is provide baseline information on ecological density status one that maintains its genetic vigor and potential for of Indian giant squirrel in Central Indian landscape evolutionary adaptation (Kumar et al., 2007), therefore (Table. 1). IGS distribution in STR was observed in continuous monitoring of the population status of this Terminalia arjuna, Madhuca longifolia and Tectona lesser-known mammal in central India should be given grandis. These trees are mostly used for feeding and high conservation priority. Excessive amount of Table 1: Population density and average group size of Indian Giant Squirrel (density /Km2) estimated in Satpura Tiger Reserve. Parameter Point Estimate Standard Error Percentage Coefficient 95% Confidence Interval of variation DS 4.786 0.66 13.83 3.62 6.31 E(S) 1.169 0.59