Genetic evidence indicates the occurrence of the Endangered Kashmir musk deer Moschus cupreus in Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The Endangered Kashmir musk deer Moschus cupreus occurs in the western Himalayan region from Nepal to Afghanistan, but there is a lack of comprehensive and reliable information on its range. The region also harbours the Endangered Himalayan musk deer Moschus leucogaster, and this range overlap may have led to misidentification of the two musk deer species and errors in the delimitation of their ranges. Here, using genetic analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region, we examined the phylogenetic relationship among musk deer samples from three regions in India: Ganderbal District in Jammu and Kashmir, and Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, both in Uttarakhand. The Bayesian phylogenetic analysis indicated a close genetic relationship between samples from Jammu and Kashmir, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, validated by previously published sequences of Kashmir musk deer from Nepal. Our analyses confirmed the samples from Uttarakhand to be from the Kashmir musk deer, which was not previously known from this region. Therefore, we recommend further research in this area, to validate species identification and confirm the geographical distribution of the various species of musk deer. In addition, we recommend revision of the range of M. cupreus in the IUCN Red List assessment, to facilitate effective conservation and management of this Endangered species.

Empirical Data Suggest That the Kashmir Musk Deer (Moschus cupreus, Grubb 1982) Is the One Musk Deer Distributed in the Western Himalayas: An Integration of Ecology, Genetics and Geospatial Modelling Approaches

“…Occurrence data of musk deer were collected during 2018–2020 in three landscapes of the Western Himalayas, viz., Uttarkashi, Lahaul Valley, and Pangi Valley. We obtained 279 occurrence records of musk deer through primary surveys and from the published studies from the western Himalayan region of India [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 37 ]. Out of the total, only 220 spatially independent occurrence records of KMD were used for modelling the distribution in the western Himalayan region of India ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…Moreover, Kashmir musk deer ( Moschus cupreus , henceforth KMD) was only reported from the westernmost limits of the Hindu Kush Himalaya in Jammu and Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan [ 2 , 18 ]. Recent genetic evidence revealed that the musk deer species present in Uttarakhand is a distinct lineage from all other known species [ 4 ], which was subsequently confirmed as KMD in Uttarakhand and central Nepal [ 19 , 20 ]. However, ambiguities still prevail in musk deer about the number of species/sub-species, taxonomy, and distribution in India [ 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Camera trapping is one of the most accepted and used non-invasive methods to detect elusive species to understand the occurrence, relative abundance, habitat choice, activity pattern, density estimation, and species inventory [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. Furthermore, the non-invasive DNA-based approach provides essential information about a species’ occurrence, taxonomy, distribution, status, and evolutionary history [ 19 , 24 , 25 ]. The confirmed species presence location data from different methods accurately help to understand the distribution, delineate species boundaries, and identify suitable habitats using species distribution modelling [ 24 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”

Ecology and Conservation of Mountain Ungulate in the Western and Trans-Himalayas, India

“…The Kashmir musk deer has historically been reported and described from the Kashmir region of the Western Himalayas from elevations between 2000 and 4200 asl [4,26,27] although some recent reports of presence of isolated populations from Nuristan, northeast Afghanistan [25], which is the western limit of the species and genetic analysis based on a few tissue samples [28] and species distribution modeling study [29][30][31], have indicated the occurrence of Kashmir musk deer in the Mustang area of central Nepal, which forms the eastern limit of the species. However, the reported occurrence of the species beyond the Kashmir Himalayas may not be true and warrants detailed investigation.…”

“…The Ibex inhabits the higher elevations above the tree line usually preferring rugged and rocky precipitous terrain and dry grassland steppes between 3400 and 4400 m in the Himalayas and 4000-5500 m in the trans-Himalayas [76,106]. It usually grazes on the thickets along the rocky hills and unlike most other caprids, it is known to dig craters through snow to access forage in winters [6,28,76]. The Ibex and Blue sheep are the main prey for the snow leopard, and they share similar habitats at many places such as Nubra Valley and either side of the Zanskar river in Kargil, with Ibex using steeper slopes at higher elevations closer to Blue sheep, which prefer more open pastures at lower elevations [56,106,107].…”