7. Mycotoxicosis: a Threat To Wintering Cranes in Saurashtra, Gujarat

1 Pages·1999·0.6 MB·

by  V C Soni

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
flash and a spark, and the shikra dropped to the be an Indian desert gerbil, Meriones hurrianae
ground, dead. Apparently, through the rodent’s (Jerdon).
tail, thebodyoftheshikra was earthed,resulting
in its death by electrocution. The predator had June 11, 1997 P.L. KANKANE
become aprey ofman's electricpower. Boththe Desert Regional Station.
animalswere collected. The rodentturnedoutto Zoological Survey ofIndia, Jodhpur-342 009.
MYCOTOXICOSIS A THREAT TO WINTERING CRANES
1. -
INSAURASHTRA, GUJARAT.
The Saurashtra region (21° 10' - 24° 45' than 200 villages of Rajasthan and Gujarat in
N, lat.; 68° 10' - 70° 30' E long.) of Gujarat 1974. It was observed that groundnut and its
state, India, is the most important wintering products are a favourable substrate for the
ground for the demoiselle crane Anthropoides growth ofA. flavus, when its moisture content
virgo and common crane Grus grus. Several exceeds 9% (ICAR Report 1987).
hundred thousand cranes winter in this region. In Saurashtra, the groundnut crop is
Inthe wintering ground, the cranes mainly feed harvestedduringJulyandOctober. Hence, atthe
on groundnut Arachis hypogea. Therefore, a arrival time ofthe cranes, most ofthe harvested
research project on “Assessment of crop fields have left over groundnut pods. During
depredation by cranes in the groundnut winter, the moisture content of the soil and
cropfields”wascarriedoutincollaborationwith groundnut may increase, which favours the
the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, growthofA.flavus. Thus,mycotoxicosisreached
New Delhi, for three years. Field study a peak during January and February.
commenced in October, 1989 and during the Furthermore, during ourstudy periodwe visited
studyperiodwerecorded32craneswithpeculiar only30%ofthewaterbodiesofSaurashtraregion,
symptoms, which resulted in their mortality inwhichwerecorded32diseasedcranes. Hence,
within 2-3 days. The symptoms observed were therearepossibilitiesofmorecraneswithsimilar
paralysis ofwing and neck, reluctance to feed, disease. The afflictedcranes are unable to move
weight loss and death within 2-3 days. Dein due to paralysis oftheir wings and legs, and fall
(1989)reportedthattherearefourmajorfactors, easy prey to such predators as the village dog,
bacterial, fungal, viral and animal parasites, fox andjackal.
which affect cranes both in captivity and in the Acknowledgement
wild. The cranes were probably suffering from
mycotoxicosis, causedbythefungusAspergillus We are thankful to the Indian Council of
flavus, which produces a toxin called aflatoxin. Agricultural Research, New Delhi, for funds.
The fungus is a normal constituent of the June 9. 1997 V.C. SONI
microflorainair, soilandwaterandisassociated V.VIJAYAKUMAR
with living or dead plants and animals RAJESHLATHIGARA
throughout the world. Aflatoxins are carcino- Department ofBiosciences,
genic and mutagenic, and were implicated in Saurashtra University,
an outbreak ofhepatitis in tribal areas ofmore Rajkot-360 005, Gujarat.
Refe ES
Dein,F.S.(1989): Diseaseanddiseasemanagementincranes. wc.oftheAsianCraneCongress. Dec.27-30. Rajkol.
India(unpubl.).
ICAR(1987):Technologiesforbettercrop. Aflatoxinsingrou Inut.33: ICAR,NewDelhi.
JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 96(1), APR. 1999 141