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Sushma HS, Ramesh KP, Kumara HN. Determinants of habitat occupancy and spatial segregation of primates in the central Western Ghats, India. Primates 2022; 63:137-147. [PMID: 35039932 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00966-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Primates are among the globally imperiled fauna requiring urgent conservation interventions to protect their habitat. Information on species distribution and factors influencing it are vital to species management and habitat protection. In this study, we assessed habitat occupancy of the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), bonnet macaque (M. radiata), and black-footed gray langur (Semnopithecus hypoleucos) that occur in the Kudremukh Wildlife Division, a large protected area network in the central Western Ghats. We examined the influence of habitat variables on the occupancy probability of these primates. We carried out four temporally replicated detection/non-detection surveys to assess detection probability and site occupancy of the primate species. We surveyed 244 sites of 5 Km2, with each site surveyed for 4 days, to assess detection probability and site occupancy. Among the three species, the langur had the highest habitat occupancy estimate (0.66 ± 0.05SE) and the lion-tailed macaque had the lowest estimate (0.28 ± 0.08SE). The habitat occupancy estimate for the bonnet macaque was (0.56 ± 0.05SE). Wet and semi-evergreen forest cover and mean elevation positively influenced the lion-tailed macaque's occurrence. Covariates influencing bonnet macaque's occurrence were plantations, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, and non-forest areas. Mean elevation negatively affected its occurrence. Wet evergreen forests and plantations positively influenced the occurrence of the langur. We examined spatial segregation between the species based on their site occupancy. Pairwise comparisons revealed a significant negative association between the bonnet macaque and the other two primates. However, we found a significant positive association between the lion-tailed macaque and the langur. We discuss these results and their implications for conservation of primates in the region. Given the cost-effectiveness of carrying out surveys at large spatial scales, we recommend occupancy surveys for future surveys of forest primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hosur Subbarao Sushma
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (POST), Coimbatore, 640118, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Kumar P Ramesh
- Karnataka Forest Department, Bannerghatta National Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Honnavalli N Kumara
- Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty (POST), Coimbatore, 640118, Tamil Nadu, India
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Dasgupta D, Banerjee A, Karar R, Banerjee D, Mitra S, Sardar P, Karmakar S, Bhattacharya A, Ghosh S, Bhattacharjee P, Paul M. Altered Food Habits? Understanding the Feeding Preference of Free-Ranging Gray Langurs Within an Urban Settlement. Front Psychol 2021; 12:649027. [PMID: 33981276 PMCID: PMC8107681 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.649027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization affects concurrent human-animal interactions as a result of altered resource availability and land use pattern, which leads to considerable ecological consequences. While some animals have lost their habitat due to urban encroachment, few of them managed to survive within the urban ecosystem by altering their natural behavioral patterns. The feeding repertoire of folivorous colobines, such as gray langur, largely consists of plant parts. However, these free-ranging langurs tend to be attuned to the processed high-calorie food sources to attain maximum benefits within the concrete jungle having insignificant greenery. Therefore, besides understanding their population dynamics, the effective management of these urbanized, free-ranging, non-human primate populations also depends on their altered feeding habits. Here, we have used a field-based experimental setup that allows gray langurs to choose between processed and unprocessed food options, being independent of any inter-specific conflicts over resources due to food scarcity. The multinomial logit model reveals the choice-based decision-making of these free-ranging gray langurs in an urban settlement of West Bengal, India, where they have not only learned to recognize the human-provisioned processed food items as an alternative food source but also shown a keen interest in it. However, such a mismatch between the generalized feeding behavior of folivorous colobines and their specialized gut physiology reminds us of Liem's paradox and demands considerable scientific attention. While urbanization imposes tremendous survival challenges to these animals, it also opens up for various alternative options for surviving in close proximity to humans which is reflected in this study, and could guide us for the establishment of a sustainable urban ecosystem in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dishari Dasgupta
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Arnab Banerjee
- Centre for Mathematical Biology and Ecology, Department of Mathematics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.,Systems Ecology and Ecological Modelling Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India
| | - Rikita Karar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Debolina Banerjee
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Shohini Mitra
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Purnendu Sardar
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, India
| | - Srijita Karmakar
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.,Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Nadia, India
| | | | - Swastika Ghosh
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Manabi Paul
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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Mewa Singh, Mridula Singh, Honnavalli N. Kumara, Dilip Chetry, Santanu Mahato. A history of primatology in India (In memory of Professor Sheo Dan Singh). JOURNAL OF THREATENED TAXA 2020. [DOI: 10.11609/jott.6524.12.13.16715-16735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
India harbors a wide diversity of primates with 24 species that include lorises, macaques, langurs and gibbons. Systematic research on the primates in India started about 60 years ago. In order to develop a historical perspective, we recognize three broad phases of primate research: largely natural history and base line research, primarily behavioral ecology research, and increasingly question and hypothesis-driven research. We describe the old and the recent primate research in the country and suggest research areas for the future.
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Kolb AW, Brandt CR. Genomic nucleotide-based distance analysis for delimiting old world monkey derived herpes simplex virus species. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:436. [PMID: 32590937 PMCID: PMC7318535 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06847-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Herpes simplex viruses form a genus within the alphaherpesvirus subfamily, with three identified viral species isolated from Old World monkeys (OWM); Macacine alphaherpesvirus 1 (McHV-1; herpes B), Cercopithecine alphaherpesvirus 2 (SA8), and Papiine alphaherpesvirus 2 (PaHV-2; herpes papio). Herpes B is endemic to macaques, while PaHV-2 and SA8 appear endemic to baboons. All three viruses are genetically and antigenically similar, with SA8 and PaHV-2 thought to be avirulent in humans, while herpes B is a biosafety level 4 pathogen. Recently, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has resulted in an increased number of published OWM herpes simplex genomes, allowing an encompassing phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS In this study, phylogenetic networks, in conjunction with a genome-based genetic distance cutoff method were used to examine 27 OWM monkey herpes simplex isolates. Genome-based genetic distances were calculated, resulting in distances between lion and pig-tailed simplex viruses themselves, and versus herpes B core strains that were higher than those between PaHV-2 and SA8 (approximately 14 and 10% respectively). The species distance cutoff was determined to be 8.94%, with the method recovering separate species status for PaHV-2 and SA8 and showed that lion and pig-tailed simplex viruses (vs core herpes B strains) were well over the distance species cutoff. CONCLUSIONS We propose designating lion and pig-tailed simplex viruses as separate, individual viral species, and that this may be the first identification of viral cryptic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron W Kolb
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 550 Bardeen Laboratories, 1300 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Curtis R Brandt
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 550 Bardeen Laboratories, 1300 University Ave, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.,McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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