Pangolin Sightings in Western Arunachal Pradesh

1 Pages·1999·0.59 MB·

by  Aparajita Datta

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MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
2. PANGOLIN SIGHTINGS IN WESTERNARUNACHAL PRADESH
During field work from November 1995 pangolin is somewhat smaller in size than the
to April 1996 for a project in Pakhui Wildlife Indian pangolin and has 15-18 rows of scales
Sanctuary (92°7.5'E - 92°22'E and 26°53.7'N - around the body, while the Indian pangolin has
27°16.2'N), East Kameng dist. western 11-13 scales around the body (Prater 1980,
,
Arunachal Pradesh, I sighted pangolins on two Corbet & Hill 1992). Other than these
occasions. Both sightings were in the daytime. differences, there seem to be no field characters
The firstsightingwas in 1995 inareserve forest by which the two species can be distinguished,
near Balijuri in Sonitpur dist. Assam (near the thoughGrzimek(1975)pointsoutthatthescales
Assam-Arunachal border). The animal was of the Chinese pangolin are blackish-brown,
moving inthe vegetationnearthe roadside. The while those ofthe Indianpangolinare large and
second sighting was ofan animal foraging near lightyellow-brown.TheanimalsIsawwerelight
a perennial stream (locally called Sukan nala) brown in colour, but given the fact that the
in the early morning around 8 am in December distribution of the Indian pangolin is in
1997. It was observed digging near the edge of peninsular India, the animal I saw is probably
the stream, but vanished into the undergrowth the Chinese pangolin. This species is rarely
onmy approach. sighted or recorded as it is nocturnal. The
Two species ofpangolins occur in India, Chinese pangolin is listed in Schedule 1 ofthe
viz. the Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It would be
andthe Chinesepangolin (Manispentadactyla) interestingtoknow ifthere is any overlap inthe
The distribution ofthe Indianpangolin is given range ofthe two species.
as being in peninsular India, south of the
Himalaya and in Sri Lanka, while that of the June 29, 1998 APARAJITADATTA
Chinese pangolin is through northeastern India, Wildlife Institute ofIndia
Nepal, Burma and south China (Grzimek 1975, P.O. # 18, Chandrabani,
Prater 1980, CorbetandHill 1992).TheChinese Dehra Dun 248 001.
ReferENCES'
Anon. (1992): The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as Grzimek,B.(1975):Grzimek’sAnimalLifeEncyclopedia,
amendedupto1991).NatrajPublishers,DehraDun. Volume11,MammalsII.VanNostrandReinholdCo.
Corbet, G.B. &J.E. Hill(1992): TheMammalsofthe pp. 634.
Indo-Malayanregion:asystematicreview.Natural Prater,S.H.(1980):TheBookofIndianAnimals,3rdEdn.
History Museum Publications, Oxford University Repr. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay,
Press,pp.488. p. 34.
SIGHTING OF RUSTYSPOTTED CATPRIONAILURUSRUBIGINOSUS
3.
INTADOBAANDHARITIGERRESERVE, MAHARASHTRA
The rustyspotted cat was once thought to comm.) andMelghatTigerReserve(Wankhede,
be rare with a small range ofdistribution. Ithas 1996). Acharjyo et al. 1997, reported the
sincebeenreportedfromGirWildlife Sanctuary presence ofthis lessercat fromPhulbani dist. in
(Chellam, pers. comm.), Kuno Wildlife Sanc- Orissaforthe firsttime. In 1994, itwasreported
tuary(VidyaAthreyaandChristyWilliamspers. from Sariska Tiger Reserve (Mukharjee, pers.
310 JOURNAL BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY, 96(2) AUG. 1999
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