Distribution and Habitat Preference of Four-horned antelope (Chowsingha), in Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Meghwal, Ramchandra; Sen, P.K.; Bhatnagar, Chhaya

doi:10.21276/ambi.2016.03.1.ra05

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The maximum daily temperature ranges from 46°C in May to 25°C in January, while the minimum night temperature ranges from 26°C in July to 5°C in January (Meghwal, Bhatnagar, & Koli, 2018). The most common mammals found in these regions include leopard (Panthera pardus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), jackal (Canis aureus), indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), chinkara (Gazella gazella), sambar (Rusa unicolor), blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus), southern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri), and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) (FES, 2010a(FES, , 2010b(FES, , 2010cKoli & Bhatnagar, 2011;Meghwal, Sen, & Bhatnagar, 2014;Sharma, 2007).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal food habits of the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Rajasthan, Western India

Meghwal

Bhatnagar

Koli

2020

JoBAZ

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Background Feeding strategies assessment of endangered species during food limited seasons is important in order to understand their niche and advise effective habitat management steps. We assessed the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) seasonal diet from April 2014 to March 2015, in three wildlife sanctuaries in western India, namely, Sitamata, Kumbhalgarh, and Phulwari-ki-nal Wildlife Sanctuaries. Opportunistic focal animal sampling method was used in five 1 km paths in each sanctuary to take feeding observations. Each transect was walked three times a day (morning 06:00-10:00 h; mid-day 10:00-14:00 h; evening 15:00-18:00 h), 1 day a month, during 12 months, with a total of 540 surveys divided between 15 paths. The diet data was categorized into different plant categories. Results A total of 532 feeding records from 85 animal sightings were noted with a mean (± SD) of 14.78 ± 10.04 feeding records/month. Feeding was observed on 63 plant species belonging to 23 families. The highest feeding records noted were on trees (60.91%) in the diet followed by shrubs (20.49%), grasses (16.92%), forbs (1.50%), and climbers (0.18%) respectively. Most of the plant species consumed were from Fabaceae (n = 17) and Poaceae (n = 12) families. The overall browse-grass ratio was 83.08-16.92% (88.02-11.98% for Sitamata WLS; 82.11-17.89% for Kumbhalgarh WLS; 79.10-20.90% for Phulwari-ki-nal WLS). Leaves were the most consumed part of the plants (64.10%), followed by dry fruit (16.55%), fleshy fruit (13.34%), flowers (2.82%), buds (2.06%), and twigs (1.13%) respectively. Use of fleshy fruits, dry fruits, and trees showed significant seasonal dietary difference (P < 0.05) in all three sanctuaries. Conclusions Tetracerus quadricornis was found to consume more browse species than grasses. We recommend conservation and promotion of natural plant regeneration, in particular for the plant species that were the most consumed by four-horned antelope, namely, Aristida adscensionis, Dendrocalamus strictus, Dichrostachys cinerea, Acacia leucophloea, Butea monosperma, Helicteres isora, Ziziphus nummularia, and Ziziphus xylopyrus. Conservation of grassland patches, minimizing local pressure, and planning, construction, and maintenance of fire lines prior to timing of forest fires would help to protected T. quadricornis habitat in all three sanctuaries.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal food habits of the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Rajasthan, Western India

Meghwal

Bhatnagar

Koli

2020

JoBAZ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The maximum daily temperature varies from 46 °C in May to 25 °C in January, and the minimum night temperature ranges from 26 °C in July to 5 °C in January. The major mammalian fauna includes, leopard (Panthera pardus), striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), Indian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes), jackal (Canis aureus), southern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus dussumieri), chinkara (Gazella gazella), jungle cat (Felis chaus), Indian fox (Vulpes begalensis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), blue bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) (Sharma 2007, FES 2010a, b, Koli & Bhatnagar 2011, Meghwal et al 2014.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Activity and social behaviour of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornisde Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Western India

2018

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Unmasking the Peril: Human-Induced Land Use Change vs. Climate Change and Their Threat to Indian Wildlife - A Case Study of Four-Horned Antelope in Indian subcontinent.

Singh,

Dar,

Sharief

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The impacts of land use change and climate change on biodiversity are significant, leading to substantial range contractions for many species globally. This effect is particularly pronounced in endemic species like the four-horned antelope (FHA), native to the Indian subcontinent. These species are vulnerable due to their low population densities and limited dispersal abilities.To understand the future habitat suitability for the FHA, we employed an ensemble modeling framework. This approach integrated landscape composition and climatic variables to predict current and future habitat changes. The FHA shows a preference for hot, dry climates and is mainly found in areas with extensive forest and grassland coverage. They avoid regions with large diurnal temperature variations. Our study revealed contrasting outcomes under different future scenarios. Under climate-only change projections, the FHA's habitat is expected to expand, with minimal range contractions across all scenarios. However, under land use change and combined scenarios, a significant decline in suitable habitats was observed. By the 2050s, climate-only models predict an 11.3% and 7.8% increase in FHA habitat under low (SSP 2.6) and high (SSP 8.5) emission scenarios, respectively. In stark contrast, land use change models forecast a 51.2% and 54.5% reduction in suitable habitats under low (SSP 126) and high (SSP 585) development scenarios, respectively. These findings highlight the critical impact of land use change on FHA habitat loss, emphasizing the need for comprehensive conservation strategies. Our study provides valuable insights into habitat suitability factors for the FHA, which are crucial for conservation and land-use management. The results underscore the urgency of implementing measures to mitigate habitat loss due to land use changes, as they pose a more immediate and substantial threat to the FHA's survival. Therefore, protecting and restoring forest and grassland areas is vital for conserving this species across its range.

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Distribution and Habitat Preference of Four-horned antelope (Chowsingha), in Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

Seasonal food habits of the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Rajasthan, Western India

Seasonal food habits of the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis de Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Rajasthan, Western India

Activity and social behaviour of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornisde Blainville, 1816) in tropical deciduous forests of Aravalli mountain range, Western India

Unmasking the Peril: Human-Induced Land Use Change vs. Climate Change and Their Threat to Indian Wildlife - A Case Study of Four-Horned Antelope in Indian subcontinent.

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