Submitted date: 30 June 2013 Accepted date: 17 January 2014 Published date: 29 June 2014 Pp. 46.
Tachaea spongillicola (Cymothoida: Corallanidae) from West Bengal, India
M.K.D. Roy* & S. Mitra *Corresponding author. E-mail: malay_7@rediffmail.com
The isopod Tachaea spongillicola (Corallanidae) was described by Stebbing (1907) from the freshwater sponge Eunapius carteri (formerly Spongilla carteri) at the Indian Museum Tank, Kolkata, India. Since then, this species did not appear in literature for nearly hundred years. In 2003, Mariappan et al. reported this isopod from three locations along the course of the Cauvery River near Tiruchirapalli, India. They found this species to occur on three species of prawns. However, during a recent survey at Burdwan (on 18 December 2012), the first author collected six specimens of this species (Registration Number ZSI C 6007/2) on the prawn Macrobrachium lamarrei from Damodar River at Kathgolaghat near Polempur (~2 km SE of Burdwan Town). The size of the isopod specimens varied between 7.6–8.0mm and 2.6–3.5mm. The specimens were found to fully match with the description of Stebbing (1907). Thus this endemic species is here recorded after 106 years from West Bengal.
Submitted date: 30 June 2013 Accepted date: 5 May 2014 Published date: 29 June 2014 Pp. 32–45, Pl. 9.
STUDIES ON DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSERVATION OF THE BAT FAUNA IN MAHARASHTRA STATE, INDIA
Vishakha S. Korad *Corresponding author. E-mail: vishakhakorad@yahoo.com
Abstract Maharashtra state is the third largest by area in India. Maharashtra’s bat fauna comprises eight families, 23 genera, and 41 species, most of which are insectivorous microchiropterans. Eleven of the 41 bat species are found throughout the state whereas 21 species have few colonies with restricted distribution. Five species endemic to South Asia occur in the state. Maharashtra is separated into six divisions in this paper on the basis of geography, topography, and agro-climatic conditions; the presence of bat species and their roosting sites are reported per division. The IUCN status of bat species is listed, as well as endemism. Types of forests in the state and forest cover in each of the six divisions are considered for discussion in the context of bat distribution. Bat species richness and evenness are compared using the Shannon-Weaver (S-W) Index and Simpson’s indices (Reciprocal and Diversity). The results are discussed from the viewpoint of conservation of bat fauna in forest areas in general and the Western Ghats region of the state in particular.
Key words : biogeography, Chiroptera, ecology, roosting, species richness, Western Ghats
Submitted date: 18 December 2013 Accepted date: 13 March 2014 Published date: 29 June 2014 Pp. 27–31.
Tall Tales of a Tropical Squirrel
Emily Mae Meijaard, Rona Anne Dennis & Erik Meijaard *Corresponding author. E-mail: emily.meijaard@gmail.com
The Tufted Ground Squirrel, Rheithrosciurus macrotis is an endemic of the South East Asian island of Borneo. This species is remarkable in several aspects. Phylogenetic research indicates that its nearest living relatives are a group of South American squirrel species. It is unclear how the evolutionary lineage leading to Rheithrosciurus ended up on Borneo without leaving behind any known relatives on either the Asian or North American land masses. The lineage of ancestors of Rheithrosciurus occupying Eurasia is either extinct without known fossil remains or the genus supposedly colonized Borneo in an independent long-distance colonization event. More recent studies indicate that the Rheithrosciurus lineage diverged from a group of Palaearctic species of the genus Sciurus as early as 36 million years ago, and colonized Borneo overland from South East Asia.
Submitted date: 21 January 2014 Accepted date: 14 March 2014 Published date: 29 June 2014 Pp. 21–26, Pl. 8.
USE OF TEA PLANTATION BY WILD MAMMALS IN TAMIL NADU, INDIA
V. Gokula* & C. Thangatamil *Corresponding author. E-mail: gokulae@yahoo.com
Abstract Wild mammals that live in the fragmented primary forests in Western Ghats often leave the fragment due to resource shortages and use the nearby tea plantation either to forage or as a corridor to connect other fragments, during which time human-wildlife conflict is inevitable. Hence, understanding the need of wild mammals using the tea plantations is essential to minimize this conflict. We researched the use of tea plantations by wild mammals between October 2011 and January 2012 in Kolacamby, Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India. Walks were made to determine the relative abundance of wild mammals inside the plantation. Scats of sloth bear (Melursus urisnus[i]), tiger ([i]Panthera tigiris), and leopard (Panthera pardus) found inside the plantation were analyzed to determine food habit. In addition, workers were informally interviewed about man-wildlife conflict. All major carnivores of the Western Ghats ecosystem were recorded in the area. Despite the richness of the fauna in the fragments, minimal human-wildlife conflict was reported.
Submitted date: 10 September 2013 Accepted date: 1 May 2014 Published date: 29 June 2014 Pp. 12–20, Pls. 3–7.
A NEW CRYPTIC SPECIES OF GECKO OF THE GENUS Hemidactylus Oken, 1817 (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN INDIA
Zeeshan A. Mirza & Rajesh V. Sanap *Corresponding author. E-mail: zeeshanm@ncbs.res.in
Abstract A new species of gecko superficially resembling Hemidactylus maculatus is described from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Hemidactylus acanthopholis sp. nov. is a large sized Hemidactylus, SVL at least 91.7mm. Dorsal scalation on trunk granular, intermixed with enlarged, fairly regularly arranged longitudinal rows of 18–20 trihedral, moderately keeled, striated tubercles of equal size on dorso-lateral aspect, 2–3 rows of tubercles on mid-dorsal smaller in size, approximately two dorsal granular scales wide. Two large rounded and one small internasal between nasals. Two pairs of postmentals, anterior pair is twice as long and wide as the posterior pair. Scales on ventral trunk arranged in 35–40 rows. Lamellae divided, 9, 11, 10, 10, 10 on manus, and 10, 12, 12, 12, 12 on pes respectively on digits I–V. Caudal pholidosis on dorsal aspect, consist of small, striated scales intermixed with large rounded un-keeled tubercles, scales sub-equal throughout and a series of large eight enlarged, moderately keeled and weakly striated and flattened tubercles in a whorl on each caudal segment. Femoral pores, 19–21 on each side separated medially by 13–14 pore-less scales.
Key words : biogeography, Hemidactylus maculatus, species-complex, taxonomy, Western Ghats