World Journal of Zoology 8 (4): 397-400, 2013ISSN 1817-3098© IDOSI Publications, 2013DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2013.8.4.76131

Corresponding Author: Amol S. Kumbhar, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Mul Road, Chandrapur - 442401, Maharashtra, India.

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Observation on ReptilianFauna of Tadoba - Andhari

Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India

Amol S. Kumbhar, Bapu Yele,1 1

Sachin Shinde and Anil Dashahare1 2

Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve, Mul Road,1

Chandrapur - 442401, Maharashtra, IndiaWildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box: 18, Chandrabani, Dehradun,2

Uttarakhand, India

Abstract: Preliminary checklist of reptiles of Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve was carried out for a period ofthree years from 2010, 2012 and 2013; reptiles were recorded based on opportunistic observations, encountersas well as random search for reptiles. It was observed that total 30 species of reptiles were encountered duringstudy, out of which lizards are represented 9 species belongs to 4 families and 19 species of snakes belongsto 6 families.

Key words: Tadoba % Snakes % Crocodile % Dry Deciduous Forest % Checklist

INTRODUCTION

The Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) issituated in the Chandrapur district in the easternpart of Maharashtra state, between 20°04’ 53” to20°25’ 51”N and 79°13’ 13” to 79°33’ 34” E (Image1). TheTATR extends over 625 km , covering a landscape2

that is an interspersion of grasslands, water bodiesand dry deciduous forests dominated by BambooDendrocalamus strictus and Teak Tactona grandisalong with patches of riparian forest alongsidestreams [1]. Two main rivers drain the region, with theErai River in the west and the Andhari River in the east.The northern section is undulating in topography, withthe foothills of the Chimur range gradually giving way tothe plains as one moves south. The Tadoba and Kolsalakes constitute the largest water bodies in the TATR.Most of the annual rainfall (1175 mm) is received betweenJune and September, with a minimum temperature of about21°C in December, rising to a maximum of about 48°C in Fig. 1: Map shows study area and major water bodies ofMay [2,3]. Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The present study contains a checklist of reptiles This is the first published study of reptilianrecorded based on opportunistic observations, diversity of Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve whichencounters as well as random search for snakes in hold total 30 species of reptiles were encountered duringdifferent habitat types [4] in between period from during study, out of which lizards 9 species belongs to 4 familiesJune 2010 to August 2010 and April 2012 to March 2013. and 19 species of snakes belongs to 6 families. WeRoad kills were also examined while driving along the encountered one species of turtle from familyroads on various occasions. Encountered individuals Trionychidae and one species of crocodile fromwere examined and identified with the help of the key Crocodylidae. During regular field visits authorsprovided by Smith and Smith and Whitaker and Captain commonly encountered Bengal monitor lizard Varanus[5- 7]. IUCN status of each encountered species were bengalensis on various occasions along the road sidecategorised on basis of Molur et al. [8]. maximum in mixed deciduous forest compared to Bamboo

Image 1: Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris. in morning. Mugger crocodile Crocodylus palustris

dominated habitat. Common sand boa Gongylophisconicus (Image 3) were sighted in riparian patches in fourdifferent occasions. Forsten's cat snake Boiga forsteni(Image 4) was rescued from Jamni village in an eveningduring summer. Beaked worm snake Grypotyphlopsacutus was encountered near Kolasa Lake in the earlymorning. Fan throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana(Image 5) were commonly recorded in teak Tactonagrandis habitat near Tadoba tower and rest house. Indianflapshell turtle Lissemys punctata (Image 6) was regularlyobserved in Tadoba, Telia and Kolsa Lake during basking

Image 2: Common Sand Boa Gongylophis conicus with its prey.

Image 3: Bengal monitor Varanus bengalensis.

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Image 4: Forsten's cat snake Boiga forsteni.

Image 5: Fan throated lizard Satina ponticeriana.

Image 6: Indian flapshell turtle Lissemys punctata.

(Image 1) is categorised as Vulnerable by IUCN comesunder Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in Schedule I, whichis commonly found in Tadoba Lake, Telia dam and alsoauthors found once in a bamboo dominated habitat inGhosari beat was six km away from Tadoba Lake animalwas juvenile around four feet in length on July 2010.

Common sand boa Gongylophis conicus (Image 2)are commonly found in riparian patches of Tadoba.During field visit on 1 July 2012 at around 14:30pm we st

Table 1: Systematic checklist of reptiles observed in Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Sr. No Scientific name Common name IUCN status

Reptilia Geckkonidae 1 Hemidactylus brookii Brook's house gecko LR-lc2 Hemidactylus leschenaultia Bark gecko LR-lc3 Hemidactylus frenatus Asian house gecko LR-lc Agamidae 4 Calotes versicolor Indian garden lizard LR-nt5 Calotes rouxi Roux's forest lizard LR-nt6 Satina ponticeriana Fan throated lizard LR-lc

Scincidae 7 Mabuya macularia Bronze grass skink LR-lc8 Eutrupis carinata Keeled grass skink LR-nt Varanidae 9 Varanus bengalensis Bengal monitor VU

Typhlopidae 10 Grypotyphlops acutus Beaked worm snake LR-nt11 Ramphotyphlops braminus Braminy work snake LR-nt

Boidae 12 Eryx johnii Red sand boa LR-nt13 Gongylophis conicus Common sand boa LR-nt

Pythonidae 14 Python molurus Indian rock python LR-nt

Colubridae 15 Ptyas mucosa Indian rat snake LR-nt16 Coelognathus helena helena Common Indian trinket LR-nt17 Lycodon aulicus Common wolf snake LR-lc18 Sibynophis subpunctatus Dumreil's Black-headed snake LR-nt19 Lycodon striatus Barred wolf snake LR-nt20 Oligodon arnensis Common kukri snake LR-nt21 Argyrogeno faciolata Banded racer LR-nt22 Boiga forsteni Forsten's cat snake LR-nt23 Xenochrophis piscator Checkered keelback LR-nt24 Macropisthodon plumbicolor Green keelback LR-nt

Elapidae 25 Naja naja Spectacled cobra LR-nt26 Bungarus caeruleus Common Indian krait LR-nt Viperidae 27 Echis carinatus Saw scaled viper LR-nt28 Daboia russelii Russell's viper LR-nt

Trionychidae 29 Lissemys punctata Indian flapshell turtle LR-nt

Crocodylidae 30 Crocodylus palustris Mugger crocodile VU

Note: LR-nt - Lower Risk near threatened; LR-lc - Lower Risk least concern; VU - Vulnerable

observed a common sand boa burrow himself in a mudand stalking Asian koel for almost 5min near Tadobarange office bird was feeding on ants. After few secondshe stroked bird successfully directly on his head. Asiankoel Eudynamys scolopacea was identified on basis ofGrimmett, Inskipp & Inskipp [9]. After strike sand boacoiled himself around Asian koel till death of bird and hestretched his jaw to consume bird which was almostdouble of his body width, because of his sudden strikeand tight coil around prey, bird could not able to defendhimself. It took 30min for sand boa to completely consumeprey, author recorded video by NIKON COOLPIX P500V.1. Snake was lying on same place for two days fordigesting bird with half burrow himself in mud. Whitaker

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and Captain [7] reported food habits of sand boa as REFERENCESlizards, insects, snakes, birds and rodents. This note addsbird as food habit on species level of common sand boa 1. Champion, H.G. and S.K. Seth, 1968. A Revisedis not reported so far this is an addition of its list of prey. Survey of the Forest Types of India. Publish by Gov.First author also observed sand boa feed on Fan throated of India Press. New Delhi.lizard Satina ponticeriana on 19 July 2010 near Telia 2. Marathe, R.R., S.S. Goel. S.P. Ranade. M.M. Jog andth

dam in Moharli range. M.G. Watve, 2002. Patterns in abundance andFour villages are present inside the tiger reserve, lack diversity of faecally distributions of tiger in Tadoba

of snake awareness influenced by superstitious belief in National Park, Central India, BMC Ecology, 2(6). villagers which resulted incident like killing of common rat 3. Kumbhar, A.S., S.V. Khapne, G. Washishtha and V.snake, spectacled cobra, saw scale viper and forsten’s cat Tiwari, 2012. Status of Tiger, Leopard and their Preysnake during study period. Public awareness camps need in Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve: Phase IV,to undertake by forest department with help of local Maharashtra Forest Department, Chandrapur.NGO’s or expertise about snakes. The Present study was pp: 45.carried out during project “All India Tiger Estimation 4. Kumbhar, A.S., A. Pradhan. G. Patwardhan. A. PandeProject 2010 - 2011” and “Monitoring Source Population and D. Lahkar, 2012. Note on Observed Snakes inof Tiger in Tadoba - Andhari Tiger Reserve 2012 - 2013”. Satpura Tiger Reserve and Record of PsammophisAll records are incidental encounters during field visit. Longifrons Boulenger, 1896 Madhya Pradesh, IndiaHowever, snakes can be considered as the most efficient Universal Journal of Enviromental Research andone, among the few bio-indicator species in ecological Technology. 2(4): 362-365.studies. This study can provide baseline information 5. Smith, M.A., 1935. Fauna of British India, includingabout reptilian faunal diversity in dry deciduous forest of Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. II. -central India. Preliminary checklist suggests that for Sauria. Taylor and Francis, London, pp: 440.further systematic and long term survey in Tadoba to 6. Smith, M.A., 1943. The Fauna of British India, Ceylondocument composition of herpetofaunal diversity and and Burma, Including the whole of the Indochinesedistribution pattern in various habitats is recommended. Region. Vol. III - Serpents. Taylor and Francis,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 7. Whitaker, R. and A. Captain, 2008. Snakes of India -

We would like to thank park officials of Tadoba - 8. Molur, S., P.O. Nameer and S. Walker. (eds). 1998.Andhari Tiger Reserve for provided logistical support Report of workshop “Conservation Assessment andduring field work. We also extend our thanks to our field Management Plan for Mammals of India” (BCPP -assistants and driver for their dedication during the field Endangered Species Project), Zoo Outreachwork. Organization, Conservation Breeding specialist

London. pp: 568.

The Field Guide. Draco Books, Chennai.

group, India, Coimbatore, India. pp: 175.9. Grimmett, R., C. Inskipp and T. Inskipp, 1998. Birds of

Indian Subcontinent. Oxford University Press, NewDelhi, pp: 888.