Nesting Behavior of Indian Giant Squirrel (<em>Ratufa indica</em> Erxleben, 1777) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, Southern India

The present study was carried out on the nesting behavior of IGS in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve during the month of June 2015 to June 2017 (2 years). A total of 192 nesting trees with 279 nests belong to 19 tree species were identified as nesting trees preferences of IGS. Of which Bambusa arundinacea grass species was the dominant nesting grass species of the IGS in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (11%, n = 22). The overall nest height of the IGS was 19.70 m and a maximum height of 34 m and a minimum height of 8 m. The nest direction shows that the North East held the number of the nest (n = 137), and the nest position shows that the Crown (n = 197) contained the number of the nest. The nest position shows that top (n = 220) were contained the number of nests compared to the middle (n = 59). On the other hand, no nest was placed on the down position

Scavenging in the Anthropocene: Human impact drives vertebrate scavenger species richness at a global scale

Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large‐scale patterns of species richness and diversity in terrestrial vertebrate scavenger (carrion‐consuming) assemblages, which provide key ecosystem functions and services. We used a worldwide dataset comprising 43 sites, where vertebrate scavenger assemblages were identified using 2,485 carcasses monitored between 1991 and 2018. First, we evaluated how scavenger richness (number of species) and diversity (Shannon diversity index) varied among seasons (cold vs. warm, wet vs. dry). Then, we studied the potential effects of human impact and a set of macroecological variables related to climatic conditions on the scavenger assemblages. Vertebrate scavenger richness ranged from species‐poor to species rich assemblages (4–30 species). Both scavenger richness and diversity also showed some seasonal variation. However, in general, climatic variables did not drive latitudinal patterns, as scavenger richness and diversity were not affected by temperature or rainfall. Rainfall seasonality slightly increased the number of species in the community, but its effect was weak. Instead, the human impact index included in our study was the main predictor of scavenger richness. Scavenger assemblages in highly human‐impacted areas sustained the smallest number of scavenger species, suggesting human activity may be overriding other macroecological processes in shaping scavenger communities. Our results highlight the effect of human impact at a global scale. As speciesrich assemblages tend to be more functional, we warn about possible reductions in ecosystem functions and the services provided by scavengers in human‐dominated landscapes in the Anthropocene

Functional biogeography of vertebrate scavengers drives carcass removal across biomes

Resumen del trabajo presentado en el XVI Congreso Nacional de la AEET 2023: la ecología en una biosfera humanizada, celebrado en Almería entre el 16 y el 20 de octubre de 2023.Vertebrate scavengers play a crucial role in food web stability and cycling of organic matter and nutrients. However, the global factors that influence their functional biogeography and impact on ecosystem functioning at regional and local levels remain poorly understood. We aim to address this challenge by analyzing a global dataset covering 49 regions in all inhabited continents, including information on 1,847 locally monitored carcasses and 204 vertebrate scavenger species along with their functional traits. We investigate the importance of biogeographical (spatial), environmental and anthropogenic factors in structuring vertebrate scavengers¿ functional trait composition, diversity and abundance. Additionally, we investigate how these biodiversity attributes affect carcass removal at regional and local scales. Our results show that the functional trait composition of assemblages across studied regions was primarily explained by latitude and lon¬gitude, suggesting a strong biogeographical signature. In addition, while functional richness remained unexplained, scavenger abundance responded to both environmental and spatial factors. Further, we found that carcass removal was mainly driven by functional composition, but with the relative importance of particular functional traits varying from local to regional scales. At the local scale, carcass removal was positively related to large carnivorous species with large home ranges, while at the regional scale, carcass removal was better explained by the presence of vultures, other raptors and diurnal birds. Our study provides a better understanding of the factors controlling the func¬tional biogeography of terrestrial vertebrates and their role in maintaining essential ecological functions and services.Peer reviewe

Bill deformities in Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus percnopterus): a noteworthy record from Rajasthan, India

Beak deformities may be permanent or temporary and are caused by various factors. Despite its vast geographical area in India, there has been little research on beak deformities in wild birds, and few cases have been reported. In the present study, we described, as far as we know, the first known report of a beak deformity in the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus percnopterus) worldwide. On 6 January 2014, the first author (HP) recorded the Egyptian vulture with a heavily deformed bill on the garbage dump in Jorbeed, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. The causes of the bill abnormality in this individual are unknown, but our record increases the knowledge of the presence of development deformities in Egyptian vultures. We highlight the importance of photographs as a valuable tool for documenting bird beak deformities. In conclusion, we encourage other researchers to report the records of beak deformities, which is necessary for a better understanding of this phenomenon and its insights into the ecological and physiological implications of this condition considerably affecting bird survival

Observation of a population of Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus in Ramanagaram Hills, Karnataka, southern India

The results of counts at two different regular Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus feeding sites are presented for the Ramanagaram Hills Reserve Forest between 2013 and 2014 in Karnataka, southern India. The number of Egyptian Vultures recorded at feeding sites ranged from 2 to 19 individuals (mean 12.3 ±1.76 s.e.). The attitude of local people towards vulture conservation was assessed and more than 90% (90.82%) of respondents had a favourable opinion of vultures. We highlight that educating livestock owners, farmers and veterinary personnel is essential to secure healthy food for vultures

Population status, habitat selection and people's perception on Pavo cristatus (Aves: Phasianidae) in Sigur Plateau, the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

The present study aimed to estimate the population status, habitat utilisation and threats to the Indian peafowl in Sigur Plateau, Tamil Nadu from November 2016 to March 2017. A total of 1091 individuals of peafowls were recorded in 487 sightings in 1080 km (2.28 ± 0.05) with the encounter rate of 1.01 individuals / km. In Dry Deciduous Forest a total of 570 individuals of peafowls were recorded in 224 sightings in 460 km (2.28 ± 0.05, ER = 1.01 individuals / km). In Dry Thorn Forest a total of 521 individuals of peafowls were recorded in 254 sightings in 620 km (2.05 ± 0.06) ER = 0.84 individuals / km. A total of 19 roosting trees species were identified, all recorded in thorn forest; similarly nine species were recorded in dry deciduous forest. The highest number of roosts were recorded in Tectona grandis (n = 27); the average height of the tree species was 14.46 m and the average Indian peafowl roost height was 11.25. The Indian peafowl has decreased; the reason for invading the human habitation was the loss of food (n = 60). Crop damage by peafowl shows that beans (50%) were highly damaged followed by chilly (37%), tomato (5%) and ragi (4%) and corn (1%). Drivers (n = 25) noted that under some circumstances Pavo cristatus could be killed due to its sudden appearance on the roads

Color on color, what color is it?

Leucism is expressed as the almost total decoloration of certain or whole parts of the body, but preserving the typical color of eyes, nails, and skin. We show the first known case of leucism in a three-striped palm squirrel in Telangana, India. On 12th December 2022, we observed a white-coloured juvenile three-striped palm squirrel along with its mother and another juvenile on the bund of the Rayasamudram tank in Ramachandrapuram of Sangareddy district, Telangana State, India. It was white, with a pinkish snout, ears, and limbs, but its eyes were normal colored. Hence we concluded that the juvenile three-striped palm squirrel was affected by leucism. The observation is the first report of leucism in three-striped palm squirrels in the state of Telangana, India. Documenting abnormal coloration will help provide insights into the underlying causes of this phenomenon and their prevalence, distribution, and impacts on survival.

A Melanistic Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) in the Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India

On 28th January 2023 at 02:30 PM first author (PC) recorded and photographed the completely black in colour cat species during the jungle safari in the Great Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, India.  Based on the photographic evidence we identified the species as Jungle cat (Felis chaus), which was affected by melanism. In this note, we highlighted the importance of color aberration on wild animals in their natural habitats. This is necessary for a better understanding of this phenomenon and its insights into the ecological and physiological implications of this condition considerably affecting animal survival

Scavenging in the Anthropocene: Human impact drives vertebrate scavenger species richness at a global scale

Understanding the distribution of biodiversity across the Earth is one of the most challenging questions in biology. Much research has been directed at explaining the species latitudinal pattern showing that communities are richer in tropical areas; however, despite decades of research, a general consensus has not yet emerged. In addition, global biodiversity patterns are being rapidly altered by human activities. Here, we aim to describe large‐scale patterns of species richness and diversity in terrestrial vertebrate scavenger (carrion‐consuming) assemblages, which provide key ecosystem functions and services. We used a worldwide dataset comprising 43 sites, where vertebrate scavenger assemblages were identified using 2,485 carcasses monitored between 1991 and 2018. First, we evaluated how scavenger richness (number of species) and diversity (Shannon diversity index) varied among seasons (cold vs. warm, wet vs. dry). Then, we studied the potential effects of human impact and a set of macroecological variables related to climatic conditions on the scavenger assemblages. Vertebrate scavenger richness ranged from species‐poor to species rich assemblages (4–30 species). Both scavenger richness and diversity also showed some seasonal variation. However, in general, climatic variables did not drive latitudinal patterns, as scavenger richness and diversity were not affected by temperature or rainfall. Rainfall seasonality slightly increased the number of species in the community, but its effect was weak. Instead, the human impact index included in our study was the main predictor of scavenger richness. Scavenger assemblages in highly human‐impacted areas sustained the smallest number of scavenger species, suggesting human activity may be overriding other macroecological processes in shaping scavenger communities. Our results highlight the effect of human impact at a global scale. As speciesrich assemblages tend to be more functional, we warn about possible reductions in ecosystem functions and the services provided by scavengers in human‐dominated landscapes in the Anthropocene

Functional traits driving species role in the structure of terrestrial vertebrate scavenger networks

Species assemblages often have a non-random nested organization, which in vertebrate scavenger (carrion-consuming) assemblages is thought to be driven by facilitation in competitive environments. However, not all scavenger species play the same role in maintaining assemblage structure, as some species are obligate scavengers (i.e., vultures) and others are facultative, scavenging opportunistically. We used a database with 177 vertebrate scavenger species from 53 assemblages in 22 countries across five continents to identify which functional traits of scavenger species are key to maintaining the scavenging network structure. We used network analyses to relate ten traits hypothesized to affect assemblage structure with the ‘role’ of each species in the scavenging assemblage in which it appeared. We characterized the role of a species in terms of both the proportion of monitored carcasses on which that species scavenged, or scavenging breadth (i.e., the species ‘normalized degree’), and the role of that species in the nested structure of the assemblage (i.e., the species ‘paired nested degree’), thus identifying possible facilitative interactions among species. We found that species with high olfactory acuity, social foragers, and obligate scavengers had the widest scavenging breadth. We also found that social foragers had a large paired nested degree in scavenger assemblages, probably because their presence is easier to detect by other species to signal carcass occurrence. Our study highlights differences in the functional roles of scavenger species and can be used to identify key species for targeted conservation to maintain the ecological function of scavenger assemblages