DISTRIBUTION,STATUS AND CONSERVATION OF INDIAN MONITOR LIZARD ( V aranusbengalensis ), DESERT MONITOR ( V aranus griseus ) AND INDIAN SPINY TAILED LIZARD ( S aara hardwickii ) IN KARACHI, HYDERABAD AND THATTA MUHAMMAD USMAN ALI HASHMI M.Sc., M.Phil. Thesis submitted inpartial fulf i llm e nt oftherequirements for the degreeof Doct o rof Phi l osophy inZoology ( Wil dli f e and Fi s h erie s ). DEPARTMENTOF ZOO L OGY UNIVERSITY OF KAR A CHI, KA RACHI - 7 52 70 2016 BOARD OF ADVANCED STUDIES & RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI CERTIFICATE I have gone through the thesis and titl e d " DISTRIBUTION, STATUS AND CONSERVATION OF INDIAN MONITOR LIZARD ( VARANUS BENGALENSIS ), DESERT MONITOR ( VARANUS GRISEUS ) AND INDIAN SPINY TAILED LIZARD SAARA HARDWICKII IN KARACHI, HYDERABAD AND THATTA " submitt e d by Mr. MUHAMMAD USMAN ALI HASHMI S / O MAZHAR ALI HASHMI fortheawar d of Ph . D. degree andcertify thattothebest of my knowledge it contains n o plagiariz e d ma ter i al . NAME: Prof. Dr. M . ZAHEER KHAN DEPARTMENT: ZOOLOGY D a te : 24 - October - 2016 Signature &Seal ofSupervisor BOARD OF AD VANCEDSTUDIES & RESEA RCH Universit y of Karachi DECLARATION I, MUHAMMAD USMAN ALI HASHMI S/O MAZHAR ALI HASHMI h ere by decl a rethatonpartofthe work presente d by mehas beenplagiarizedfrom any wh ere . Proper references are cited, wherev er necessary. I understand that theuniversityreservestherighttocancelthedegree if any oftheabovedeclarationisproved fa l se before or aftertheawar d of degree . Signature of the candidate : Nameofthe candidate: MUHAMMAD USMAN ALI HASHMI T i tle: " DISTRIBUTION, STATUS AND CONSERVATION OF INDIAN MONITOR LIZARD ( V aranusbengalensis ), DESERT MONITOR ( V aranus griseus ) AND INDIAN SPINY TAILED LIZARD ( S aarahardwickii ) IN KARACHI, HYDERABAD AND THATTA " . Degree: Ph.D. Department/ S u bje c t: Zoology D ate: 24 - 10 - 2016 DEDICATION Dedicated to my beloved Father& M other 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Sr. No Particulars Page No I Abstract i - v II Abstract in Urdu v i - v ii i III Acknowledgement ix - x i CHAPTER 1 1 Introduction 1 - 1 2 CHAPTER2 2 Review of Literature 1 3 - 3 4 CHAPTER 3 3 Materials and Methods 3 5 - 68 3.1 Direct Counting Methods 36 - 3 7 3.2 Indirect Counting Methods 38 3.3 Estimation of Population Technique 38 3.4 For basking 40 3.5 S. hardwickii sightings 4 0 3.6 Population burrows estimation 41 3. 7 Time Constrained Searches 4 1 3.8 Capturing Methods 4 2 3.9 Noosing,Flooding,Excavation,Smashing,Snake M imic , C hasing ,Hunting 42 3.10 Flora observation 42 3.11 Study Areas 4 2 - 68 3.12 Sindh 43 - 46 3.13 Karachi 47 - 55 3.14 Habitat Facts 47 3.15 Topography 47 3.16 Hyderabad 56 - 62 3.17 Habitat Facts 56 3.18 Topography 56 - 57 3.19 Thatta 6 3 - 68 2 3.20 Habitat Facts 63 3.21 Topography 63 - 64 CHAPTER 4 4 Results 69 - 1 81 4.1 Habitat, Population distribution and Status of Varanusbengalensis , 70 - 72 in Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta. 4.2 Major Threats 73 4.3 Conservation Plan 73 - 74 4.4 V. bengalensis , Diagnostic character, Color, Habit & Habitat, 96 - 99 Breeding Biology, World Distribution, Distribution in Pakistan 4.5 Habitat, Population distribution and Status of Vara n usgriseus , in 107 - 110 Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta 4.6 Major Threats 109 4.7 Conservation Plan 109 - 110 4.8 V. griseus , Diagnostic character, Color, Habit & Habitat, Breeding 126 - 131 Biology, World Distribution, Distribution in Pakistan 4.9 Economic importance of Monitor lizards 136 4.10 Habitat, Population distribution and Status of Saarahardwickii in 137 - 140 Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta. 4.11 Major Threats 1 39 4.12 Conservation Plan 140 4.13 Saarahardwickii , Diagnostic character, Color, Habit & Habitat, 1 56 - 158 Breeding Biology, World Distribution, Distribution in Pakistan 4.14 Economic importance of Saarahardwickii . 165 4.15 Population of lizards at Karachi , Hyderabad and Thatta 166 4.16 Population d ensity of V. bengalensis , V. griseus and S. hardwickii 166 - 167 4.17 Population density of captured lizard in study areas 167 4.18 Population Threats of Lizards 174 4.19 Protection of lizards 1 74 4.20 IUCN Status of lizards 174 4.21 Flora of the lizard’s habitat at Karachi , Hyderabad and Thatta 180 4 .22 Environmental Impacts 181 CHAPTER 5 5.1 Discussion 1 82 - 204 5.2 Conclusion 215 - 216 5.3 References 217 - 233 3 LIST OF T ABLE S Table No . Particulars Page No . CHAPTER 1 1.1 Number of Threatened Species by major Taxonomic group 1 0 1.2 Number of Extinct (EX) and Extinct in the wild species 11 CHAPTER 4 4.1 Body size and sex ratio of V. bengalensis in Karachi 2012 - 2015 75 4.2 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Karachi - 2012 - 2013 76 4.3 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Karachi - 2013 - 2014 77 4.4 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Karachi - 2014 - 2015 78 4.5 Body size and s ex ratio of V. bengalensis in Hyderabad2012 - 2015 82 4.6 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Hyderabad 2012 - 2013 83 4.7 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Hyderabad 2013 - 2014 84 4.8 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Hyderabad 2014 - 2015 85 4.9 Body size and sex ratio of V . bengalensis in Thatta 2012 - 2015 89 4.10 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Thatta in 2012 - 2013 90 4.11 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Thatta in 2013 - 2014 91 4.12 Distribution of V. bengalensis at Thatta in 2014 - 2015 92 4.13 Body size and s ex ratio of V. griseus in Karachi 2012 - 2015 111 4.14 Distribution of V. griseus at Karachi - 2012 - 2013 111 4.15 Distribution of V. griseus at Karachi - 2013 - 2014 112 4.16 Distribution of V. griseus at Karachi - 2014 - 2015 112 4.17 Body size and s ex ratio of V. griseus in Hyderabad 2012 - 2015 1 16 4.18 Distribution of V. griseus at Hyderabad - 2012 - 2013 1 16 4.19 Distribution of V. griseus at Hyderabad - 2013 - 2014 117 4.20 Distribution of V. griseus at Hyderabad - 2014 - 2015 1 17 4.21 Body size and s ex ratio of V. griseus in Thatta 2012 - 2015 1 2 1 4.22 Distribution of V. griseus at Thatta - 2012 - 2013 1 2 1 4.23 Distribution of V. griseus at Thatta - 2013 - 2014 1 22 4.24 Distribution of V. griseus at Thatta - 2014 - 2015 1 22 4.25 Body size and sex ratio of S. hardwickii in Karachi, 2012 - 2015. 141 4 4.26 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Karachi - 2012 - 2013 141 4.27 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Karachi - 2013 - 2014 142 4.28 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Karachi - 2014 - 2015 142 4.29 Body size and s ex ratio of S. hardwickii in Hyderabad, 2012 - 1 46 2015 4.30 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Hyderabad - 2012 - 2013 1 46 4.31 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Hyderabad - 2013 - 2014 147 4.32 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Hyderabad - 2014 - 2015 147 4.33 Body size and s ex ratio of S. hardwickii in Thatta, 2012 - 2015 151 4.34 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Thatta - 2012 - 2013 1 51 4.35 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Thatta - 2013 - 2014 152 4.36 Distribution of S. hardwickii at Thatta - 2014 - 2015 152 4.37 Population of lizards at Karachi - 2012 - 2015 1 68 4.38 Population of lizards at Hyderabad - 2012 - 2015 169 4.39 Popula tion of lizards at Thatta - 2012 - 201 5 170 4.40 List of Protected and non protected lizards speciesby 176 Governement of Sindh 4.41 IUCN Status of lizards Species 176 4.42 F lor a of the study areas habitat of Karachi 177 4.43 F lor a of the study areas habitat of Hyderabad 178 4.44 F lor a of the study areas habitat of Thatta 189 LIST OF FIGURES Figure No . Particulars Page No . CHAPTER 1 1.1 IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED Species 1996, 1 2 Countries highly threatened reptile’s species. 3 CHAPTER 3 3.1 Map of Pakistan 44 3.2 Map of Sindh. 45 3.3 Map of Sindh with various districts 46 3.4 Map of Karachi study area 48 5 3.5 Karachi study site, Sandspit area for Varanusbengalensis 49 3.6 Karachi study Site, Malircontonment for Varanus bengalensis 49 3.7 Karachi study site, near DHA City for Varanusgriseus and 50 Saara - hardwickii 3.8 Karachi study site border area of Karachi with Jamshoro for 50 Varanusgriseus . A nd Saarahardwickii. 3.9 Karachi study site, near Bahria town (Acacia Spp. and 51 Euphorbia Spp. Are dominants) for V. griseus 3.10 Karachi study site, Norriabad for V.griseus .(Acacia and 51 Euphorbia are dominant 3.11 Karachi study site ( A typical burrow of V. bengalensis) . near 52 Paradizepoint 3.12 Karachi study site. Malir cantonment area, A burrow of 52 V.bengalensis 3.13 Karachi study site, border area with Hub for V. griseus and S. 5 3 hardwickii 3.14 Karachi study site, border area with Thatta for V. griseus and 5 3 S. hardwickii . 3.15 Karachi study site away from DHA City for S. hardwickii 54 3.16 Karachi study site Habitat of V. griseus and Saara - hardwickii. 54 3.17 Karachi study site, Hub - dam area, Habitat of V.griseus 55 3.18 Karachi study site, Kirthar road Habitat of V. griseus 55 3.19 Study area map of Hyderabad 58 3.20 Hyderabad Study site , Hyderabad mori for V. bengalensis 59 3.21 Hyderabad Study site, K otri, for V.