Some Food Plants of Chital (Axis Axis) in Rajaji National Park, India

2 Pages·1999·1.1 MB·

by  Shridhar D Bhat

1
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
References
Blanford,W.T.(1888-1891):TheFaunaofBritishIndia, Prakash, I., R.K. Gupta, A.P. Jain, B.D. Rana & B.K.
includingCeylonandBurma,Mammalia(Vols, 1 Dutta (1971): Ecological evaluation of rodent
&2).Taylor&Francis,London. populations in the desert biome of Rajasthan.
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Wheldon,London. Prakash,I.,P.Singh&A.Saravanan(1995): Ecological
Moghe, V.B. (1994): ResourceAtlasofRajasthan. Raja distributionofsmallmammalsinAravalliranges.
OffsetPrinters,Jodhpur,pp. 1-231. Proc. Indiannail. Sci. Acad. (B) 61: 137-148.
Prakash,I.(1955):AchecklistofmammalsofRajasthan Spillet,J.J.(1968):TheEcologyoftheLesserBandicoot
desert.J. Bengalnat. Hist. Soc. 28: 1-17. RatinCalcutta. BombayNatural HistorySociety
Prakash, I. (1962): Ecology ofgerbilsofthe Rajasthan andJohn HopkinsUniversity.Calcutta,pp.223.
desert,IndiaMammalia26:311-33 Ryley. K.V. (1913): BombayNatural History Society’s
Prakash,I.(1995):Invasionofpeninsularsmallmammals MammalSurveyofIndia. ReportNo.12, Palanpur
towards the Aravalli ranges and theThardesert. and Mt. Abu.J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 26: 955-
Inti.J. Ecol. andEnvironmentalSci. 21: 17-24. 967.
5. SOME FOOD PLANTS OF CHITAL {AXISAXIS)
INRAJAJINATIONAL PARK, INDIA.
While studying chital habitat use in Table
1
and around Dholkhand, Rajaji National Park, SOMEFOODPLANTSOFCHITALINTHEPARK
India, during November 1992 - May 1993, we Plantspecies Parteaten Remark
observed some plant items fed upon by chital. Ageratumconyzoides stm+If stm&Iftogether
Observations were eitherdirect(i.e. seen in the Anogeissuslatifolia If
chital’smouth)orindirect(i.e. freshsignswhere *Arabidopsisthaliana stm+lf(nf) Availableandeaten
thechitalhadjustfed). Binoculars(8x30)were onlyinMarch-April
used. We report our findings, which, *Arenariaserpyllifolia stm+If(nf) Availableandeaten
onlyinMarch-April
incidentally, seem to be the northwestern-most
Brideliarelusa If
record on chital food preferences in India. Blumeasp. stm+If
The species and plant parts eaten are listed *Carexsp. If
in Table 1. We did not see, but strongly believe Chlorisdolichostachya nf
Chrysopogonfulvus nf
from our observations on chital behaviour, that Cordiaobliqua If
leaves ofAcacia catechu, Terminalia bellirica, Crotalariasp. stm+If
Adina cordifolia, Carissa opaca, and fruits of Cynodondactylon stm+If
C. opacaandBauhiniaracemosawerealsoeaten. Cyperuskyllingia stm+lf(nf)
Ofthe 35 species we have listed, 9 are being DDeensdmroospthalchhoyeafbailpciantnaata lIff(nf)
reported for the first time (Table 1), while 26 *Diclipteraroxburghiana stm+If
havealreadybeendocumentedinoneormoreof *Eulaliopsisbinata nf Onlynffromcut
seven earlier reports in India. Our observations stockeaten
*Gnaphalium
also suggest that food preferences of chital leuteo-album stm+If(nf) Availableandeaten
differed with seasons, availability and onlyinMarch-April
palatability. Helicteresisora If(nf)
Heteropogoncontortus If(nf)
Acknowlegdgements Ichnocarpusfrutescens stm+If
Imperatacylindrica nf
We are very grateful to the Uttar Pradesh Justiciasimplex stm+If
ForestDepartment, the Director and the staffof Lantanacamara If
JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 96(3), DEC. 1999 467
MISCELLANEOUSNOTES
SOMEFOODPLATNabTlSeO1F(cCoHntIdT.)ALINTHEPARK Rsatjuadjyi; NWaCtiUona(lIUPCaNrk) wfuhnodekdinidtltyhrfoauciglhitWaitleddloiufre
PlantSpecies Parteaten Remark Institute of India.
M*aNlelyortauusdpihailainpipnidniennsaicsea sIftm+If July 27, 1999 SHRIDHARD. BHAT
*Shorearobusta p+inf Availableandeaten Forestry College,
onlyinApril-May Banavasi Road,
Sporobolusdiander nf
*Stellariamedia stm+lf(nf) Availableandeaten Sirsi (N.K. ) 581 401,
onlyinMarch-April Karnataka,
Terminaliatomentosa If
India.
Urenalobata stm+If GOPALS.RAWAT
Vetiveriazizanioides nf nffromburntstock
Zizyphusxylopyra If,ft Wildlife Institute ofIndia,
Z.mauritiana ft Seenfromcarcass Chandrabani,
Malvaceaemember stm+If Probably
Malvastrum G.P.O. P.B. No. 18,
coromandelianurn Dehra Dun 248 001,
(stm=stem,If=leaf,nf=newflush,ft=fruit,p=petals, Uttar Pradesh,
inf=inflorescence);*Firstrecord,toourknowledge. India.
BIRDS FORAGING ON TREE TRUNKS
6.
On several occasions, while studying orall bythemselves. I reporthere some ofthese
woodpeckers at the Peechi - Vazhani Wildlife observations. It may be stated that there was no
Sanctuary(Thrissurdist., Kerala), Icame across systematic effortto gatherthis data as itwas not
birds other than woodpeckers foraging on tree the focus ofmy studies.
trunks either in association with woodpeckers Elevenspeciesofbirdsfromeightfamilies
Table1 Table I {contd.)
BIRDSSEENFORAGINGONTREETRUNKS BIRDSSEENFORAGINGONTREETRUNKS
Species #Obs. Association Food Species #Obs. Association Food
with consumed with consumed
woodpeckers woodpeckers
Meropidae
Campephagidae
BluebeardedBee-eater* 1 I LargeWood-Shrike 4 1,S,T
{Nyctyornisathertoni)
(Tephrodornisvirgatus)
Capitonidae
Pycnonotidae
SmallGreenBarbet • 2 T;1 RedwhiskeredBulbul* 2 2 T
(Megalaimaviridis) (Pycnonotusjocosus
)
Dicruridae RedventedBulbul* 7 5 T,I
GreyDrongo 1 I {P.cafer)
{Dicntrusleucophaeus)
Muscicapidae
(R£a>c.kpeatr-atadiilseeduDsr)ongo 5 2 I J(uTnugrldeoiBdaebsblsterri*atus) 1 1 T
Stumidae ParadiseFlycatcher* 1 1
WhiteheadedMyna 4 1 I;T (Terpsiphoneparadisi)
(Sturnusmalabaricus)
Corvidae (Note:T-Termites;1-Insects;S-Spiders)
Treepie 2 2 I
(Dendrocittavagabunda)
468 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORYSOCIETY. 96(3) DEC. 1999