Pakistan J. Zool., vol. 45(6), pp. 1533-1539, 2013. Plant Species Association, Burrow Characteristics and the Diet of the Indian Pangolin, Manis crassicaudata, in the Potohar Plateau, Pakistan Tariq Mahmood,1 * Khalida Jabeen, 1 Iftikhar Hussain1 and Amjad Rashid Kayani2 1Department of Wildlife Management, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan. 2Department of Zoology, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan. Abstract.- The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is one of the least studied species in the country. The current study investigated its habitat and diet composition in the district of Attock of Potohar Plateau. Data were collected from two selected sites viz. “Haddowali” and “Thatti Syedo Shah”. For vegetation analysis, data about trees were recorded using “point centered quarter” method while shrubs and herbs were recorded by using “quadrate” method. Diet composition of animal was investigated by faecal analysis. Results showed that preference of the animal species is associated with Capparis decidua and Salvadora oleoides trees in its habitat for making its permanent burrows. The number of feeding and living burrows of the animal differed significantly (p< 0.01), as well as the height (p< 0.05) and width (p <0.05) of the openings of two types of burrows and the burrow depths (p <0.05). Analysis of faecal samples (n=50) revealed, body parts of ants (including heads 0.75% by volume, legs 7.32%, abdomens 20.6% and egg shells 0.21%), and plant matters (0.33 %), stones (0.1%), sand (22.75%) and clay (47.69 by %V). Identification of prey from recovered materials revealed two species of ants (Camponotus confucii and Camponotus compressus) and one species of termite (Odontotermis obesus) as main food items of the Indian pangolin in the study area. Keywords: Indian pangolin, Manis, food habits, feeding burrows, living burrows. INTRODUCTION mammal, commonly known as scaly anteater. Its limbs are powerful and are tipped with sharp, clawed digits used for digging into ant hills and Four of the eight extant species of termite mounds (Atkins, 2004). By physical pangolins occur in Asia including Chinese or appearance, it is marked by hardened, overlapping, Formosan pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Malayan large, plate like scales covering its skin. The scales or Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Palawan or are soft on newborn while they become hard as the Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) and Indian animal matures and are made up of keratin (Briggs pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) (IUCN, 2008), and Briggs, 2005). while the remaining four are found in Africa which The Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) include black-bellied pangolin (Manis has the status of “Near Threatened” throughout its tetradactyla), giant ground pangolin (Manis range in all the countries of occurrence (IUCN, gigantea), temminck's ground pangolin (Manis 2008). However, this species is very vital in the food temmincki) and tree or African white-bellied chain since it plays important role in terrestrial agro- pangolin (Manis tricuspis) (IUCN 2006). ecosystem regarding insect pest controls, by being In Asia, the Indian pangolin occurs in exclusively insectivorous in its food habit. It is Bangladesh, India (South of Himalayas), Nepal, estimated that one adult pangolin can consume Myanmar, Western China, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. approximately more than 70 million insects annually In Pakistan, the species is locally distributed and (d’Aulaire and d’Aulaire, 1983). Moreover, occurs at few places of the country including the burrowing animals are worldwide ecologically Potohar Plateau in the Punjab province (Roberts, important as their actions provide shelter or breeding 1997). It is solitary, shy, slow mover, nocturnal habitat for many other animals and thus add up valuable contribution to increase species diversity ___________________________ (Hansell, 1993). In Pakistan, practitioners of * Corresponding author: [email protected] . traditional medicines (hakims) consider various 0030-9923/2013/0006-1533 $ 8.00/0 body parts of the Indian pangolin very important Copyright 2013 Zoological Society of Pakistan and valuable source of medicines (Roberts, 1997). 1534 T. MAHMOOD ET AL. Fig. 1. A. Map of Pakistan showing location of District Attock in Potohar Plateau. B. Showing location of two study sites; Haddowali and Thatti Syedo Shah (blue background color) in the Potohar Plateau. There is enough published literature available having an area of approximately two square about other pangolin species occurring in Asia and kilometers (km2). Data collection was done on Africa, but the Indian pangolin has yet stayed monthly basis from August 2010 to July 2011. neglected in this context not only in Pakistan but Habitat features of the selected sites being also in southern Asia. It is one of the least studied utilized by the Indian pangolin were analyzed by animal species and very scanty scientific record quantifying plants species. Trees were recorded exists in Pakistan. Therefore, the current study using “Point Centered Quarter” method (Cottom and investigated plant species association and the diet Cartis, 1956). For shrub and herb species, data were composition of this species in district Attock of collected using “Quadrate Method” (Emlen, 1956; Potohar Plateau. Schemnitz, 1980). For shrub species, quadrates of 4m x 4m and for herb species quadrates of 1m x 1m MATERIALS AND METHODS were established to collect data. The Indian pangolin digs out two types of The current study was conducted in the burrows; temporary and permanent (living) burrows. district of Attock (33° 54' 26"N, and 72° 18' 40"E) Both types of burrows were searched and their located in the Potohar region of Punjab province characteristics such as depth, length, width and (Fig.1A). The study district is spread over an area of diameter were recorded in the field. The ants and 6,857 km² and is subdivided into six administrated termites colonies in the selected study sites were Tehsils (Anonymous, 2007). Initially, surveillance also searched and prey species were collected as surveys were conducted on motor vehicle (average reference samples, identified up to order level and speed 25-30 km/hr) in wild areas of the district; compared with those prey items recovered from the potential areas were marked, and identified on the faecal samples after analysis. basis of the presence of burrows of animals, faecal The characteristics of both types of burrows samples as well as interview with local people. Two (feeding and living burrows) of the Indian pangolin representative study sites of the district viz., including the number of feeding and living burrows, Haddowali ((33° 08'.502"N, 071° 54'.276"E) and height and width of burrow openings and depths of Thatti Syedo Shah (33° 11'.896"N, 072° 07'.702"E) feeding and living burrows were compared by were selected for data collection (Fig.1B), each applying student’s t-test for two samples by using BURROW CHARACTERISTICS AND DIET OF INDIAN PANGOLIN 1535 the software “past”. A. Haddowali site Diet composition of the Indian pangolin was 60 55 50 investigated by analyzing its faecal samples. A total 50 of 50 faecal samples were collected (30 samples 40 29.17 Relative density from Haddowali and 20 from Thatti Syedo Shah. 30 19.2 20 Relative cover % Value% 20 Faecal samples were analysed by using slightly 12.5 8.3310.3 modified procedures of Schemnitz (1980), Siddiqui 10 0 et al. (2004) and Dawson et al. (2007). Segregates Acacia modesta Capparis Zizyphus Salvadore of faecal samples (ant’s body parts) were identified decidua mauritiana oleaides and compared with reference samples collected Tree species from the same study sites. B. Thatti Syedo Shah 45 40 RESULTS 40 35 29.2 29.2 30 27 25 Relative density Trees, shrubs and herbs 20 Relative cover % Value % 15 12.48 12.48 10 11 Four tree species were recorded at Haddowali 8.32 8.32 10 6 6 with Acacia modesta having the highest relative 5 0 density and relative cover (50 and 55, respectively), Acacia Dalbergia Zizyphus Salvadore Prosopis Capparis modesta sissoo mauritiana oleaides juliflora decidua while Salvadora oleoides (8.33) having the least Tree species (8.33 and 10.3, respectively). Six tree species were recorded at Thatti Syedo Shah with Zizyphus Fig. 2. Relative density and relative cover mauritiana had highest relative density (29.2) and of tree species (maximum and minimum) at two relative cover ( 40), while Dalbergia sissoo having selected study sites (Haddowali and Thatti the least (8.32 and 10, respectively) (Fig. 2). Syedo Shah) constituting the habitat of the Four species of shrubs were also recorded at Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in the district of Attock. Haddowali, Ziziphus nummularia, and Acacia modesta, had the highest relative density (37.5), feeding burrows were observed and 55 were Acacia modesta had the highest relative cover ( 55), quantified (Table I). The average height of feeding while Salvadora oleoides had the least relative burrow at both study sites was found to be density and relative cover (6.25 and 9.16, 19.73.±2.78 cm while its average width and depth respectively). Among the three shrub species were 19.46±2.86 cm and 0.37± 0.02 m, respectively. recorded at Thatti Syedo Shah, Acacia modesta had Statistical analysis showed significant difference the highest relative density ( 50) and relative cover ( between the total numbers of feeding burrows of 56.6) (Fig.3). both sites (p < 0.05). A total of 41 herb species were recorded at Haddowali that their highest average density Living burrows (33.33±11.28/m²) was recorded in summer 2011 and A total number of 26 living burrows at the lowest (5.88±1.22) in spring 2011, whereas at Haddowali and 19 at Thatti Syedo Shah were Thatti Syedo Shah, a total of 36 herb species were recorded during the study period. The average recorded with the highest average relative density burrow height at both sites was found to be (25±8.42/m²) in summer 2011 and the lowest 25.65±0.92 cm.