Den Site Selection by Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in a Semi Arid Forest Ecosystem in Western India

Authors

  • Pooja Chourasia Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248002, India
  • Krishnendu Mondal Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Government of India, New Delhi 110003, India
  • K Sankar Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641108, India
  • Qamar Qureshi Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248002, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/

Keywords:

Den, Micro site selection, Macro site selection, Resource, Disturbance

Abstract



The availability of dens in habitat is essential for  successful recruitment and it is confining factor  for the distribution and abundance of den  dependent species. Present study was conducted  in Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India. To  determine the most influential variable for  selectivity of den sites by golden jackal (Canis  aureus), data on habitat characteristics were  studied at two scales. The physical structure and  protective capabilities of dens were studied at  small scale (microsite selection) by use availability design along with discrete choice  models. The selection of den in relation to  environmental factors was studied at larger scale  (macrosite selection) using binary logistic  regression in generalized linear model. Thirty six  jackal dens were observed in the study area (0.23  den / km2). The hypothesis received support as a  factor for den site selection was ‘ease of  excavation’ at micro scale (314 m2) and ‘cover and  resource’ at macro scale (3.14 km2). Areas with  high cover were observed having less number of  dens (r = -0.76, p =0.02) at significant level.  Variables favoring natal den selection was no  different than overall selected den sites. Jackal  showed no significant avoidance for large  carnivore presence where, rodent abundance and  visibility were the important predictors for den sites selection in the study area.  

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Published

2020-06-15

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 1 (2020): Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences Zoology (Jan-Jun) 2020

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Den Site Selection by Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in a Semi Arid Forest Ecosystem in Western India . (2020). Bulletin of Pure & Applied Sciences- Zoology , 39(1), 160–171. https://doi.org/10.48165/