Status, distribution and habitat preferences of small carnivores in Eravikulam national park, Kerala

Abstract

A study was conducted to understand the diversity, status, distribution and habitat preferences of small carnivores in Eravikulam National Park (ENP). The study was conducted from September 2014 to March 2015. This was the first ever study on the small carnivores in ENP.The small carnivores were studied using the camera traps. This was supplemented through the study of the indirect evidences of the small carnivores, using line transect methods. A total of 855 camera trap days, having 20,520 hrs and 65km of transect walk was done at ENP. The vegetation of the study site was studied by taking 77, 10x10m quadrants, covering an area of 7700m2. A total eight species of small carnivores were recorded from ENP. This accounted for 50% of small carnivores of W. Ghats and 19% of India. Small cats of the family dominated the small carnivores at ENP, accounting for 50% of the total small carnivores. The small cats at ENP were the Jungle Cat Felis chaus (27.7%) and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis (22.2%). The other small carnivores found at the ENP were Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis (22.2%), Asian small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea (11.1%), Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii (0.05%), Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphrodites (0.05%) and Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica (0.05%). A total of 153 incidence of indirect evidences of small carnivores were recorded from 65 km transect walk. Abundance of small carnivores (scats/kilometer), with the small cats (1.04) having the maximum abundance followed by civets (0.80), mongoose (0.26), otters (0.17) and Nilgiri Marten (0.04) at the ENP. There was no significant difference in the habitat preference by the small carnivores. They were using both the shola forests as well as grasslands. Therewas no significant difference in the habitat preferences across the seasons under study too. The prominent vegetation at the ENP was Ficusdrupacea, Syzygium arnottianum, Pithecellobium subcoriaceum, Microtropis ramiflora, Gomphandra coriacea. Though no relationship could be made between the vegetation type and the small carnivore distribution, most of the study locations were dominated by Ficus drupacea and Syzigium arnottianum. The most widely distributed small carnivore at ENP was the civets and the greater presence of the fruit trees across the ENP could be the reason for the wider distribution of the viverrids, which has a diet preference towards fruits. Out of the eight species of small carnivores of ENP two are Vulnerable, according to IUCN RedList. However, no conservation threats could be observed on the small carnivores of ENP, and ENP would be acting as an important adobe for the survival of the small carnivores of Western Ghats.