Anirudh Vasava, Raju Vyas, Vishal Mistry, Pradhyuman Sindha,
Volume 3, Issue 4 (12-2021)
Abstract
The freshwater ecosystems in Gujarat State, in the western part of India, are important habitats for various freshwater turtles. Due to the lack of information on survival and the morality of the freshwater turtles, we present new information on threats to the the Indian Flap-shelled turtle Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre) and species mass mortalities observed in some water bodies of the Gujarat State. Approximately 1071 specimens of L. punctata and three specimens of the Ganges Soft-shelled turtle Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier), along with large numbers of many other species of reptiles and fishes were recorded dead within a span of five years from January 2016 to December 2020. In some of the cases, the circumstantial evidence suggests that entanglement and trapping in fish nets could have been the reason, but large number of the deaths remained mysterious. This mysterious sudden death of aquatic reptiles in various water bodies of the state is of serious concern. We also discuss the possible explanation for these mysterious deaths.
Vasantkumar M. Rabari, Arzoo Malik, Nishith Dharaiya,
Volume 4, Issue 3 (9-2022)
Abstract
Knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of terrestrial mammals is imperative in the design of conservation strategies in protected areas. There is a lack of information available on the occurrence and abundance of wild mammals in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat of India. Thus, the present study was carried out to understand the relative abundance of the wild mammalian species in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary via camera trapping. We used day/night camera traps to record the presence of diurnal and nocturnal mammals in the Balaram-Ambaji Wildlife Sanctuary. We plotted 11 cameras near water bodies for 20 days from 6 January 2020 to 26 January 2020. A total of 268 photographs of wild animals were captured. Among the photos 13 wild mammalian species were identified, including the Rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire), which is reported for the first time in this area. The Relative Abundance Index (RAI) of each identified species was calculated to understand the species richness, providing baseline data for species occupancy.
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