Wild Ungulates in Rajasthan

Chapter
First Online:

Abstract

This chapter portrays Rajasthan as home to nine species of wild ungulates, including the four of antelopes and five species of deer. Deer and antelopes are protected by the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 under Schedule I and Schedule III. Out of a total of six species of antelopes found in India, the four are present in Rajasthan, namely, Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, Four-horned Antelope Tetracerus quadricornis, Indian gazelle or Chinkara Gazella bennettii, and Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra. Distribution range and pattern of each species has been described in detail. The significance of these beautiful creatures as herbivores and the major prey base for wild carnivores has been highlighted in addition to their aesthetic value. Nilgai has come in confrontation with locals as crop pest in the recent years, whereas in some areas, Blackbuck also cause damage. Indian gazelle, however, is in complete harmony with locals. The chapter also discusses the magnificent deer of the state which are distributed largely in protected areas of northeastern Rajasthan and the Aravallis. Sambar Rusa unicolor and Chital Axis axis are quite common in Rajasthan, while the Hog Deer Axis porcinus and Southern Red Muntjac or Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak are confined to Keoladeo National Park. Mouse Deer are limited to only one district in southern Rajasthan. The need for further detailed study regarding their population estimates and conservation has been taken into consideration in this chapter.

Keywords

Mouse Deer Large Carnivore Wild Ungulate Thar Desert Tiger Reserve 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the volunteers and members of Ecology and Rural Development Society (ERDS) for their constant support in assessing the status of blackbuck, chinkara, and nilgai in western Rajasthan. The first author (SD) is highly thankful to the Rufford Small Grants Foundation for supporting the “Chinkara Conservation Project” since last 4 years.

References

  1. 1.
    Hernandez-Fernandez M, Vrba ES (2005) A complete estimate of the phylogenetic relationships in Ruminata: a dated species-level super tree of the extant ruminants. Biol Rev 80:269–302PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    Nikaido M, Rooney AP, Okada N (1999) Phylogenetic relationships among Cetartiodactyls based on insertions of short and long interspersed elements: hippopotamuses are the closest extant relatives of whales. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 96:10261–10266PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Nowak RM (1991) Walker’s mammals of the world, 5th edn. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, pp 1936Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    Sharma S, Sharma SK, Sharma S (2003) Notes on mammalian fauna of Rajasthan. Zoos’ Print J 18(4):1085–1088CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Prater SH (1971) The book of Indian animals. Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press, Bombay, pp 483Google Scholar
  6. 6.
    Sankar K, Acharya B (2004) Sambar (Cervus unicolor Kerr, 1792). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 7, no 1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 163–170Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    Biswas T (2004) Hog Deer (Axis porcinus Zimmerman, 1780). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 7, no 1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 61–78Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    Dhungel SK, O’Gara WB (1991) Ecology of Hog deer in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Wild Mono 119:1–40Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Biswas T, Mathur VB (2000) A review of the present conservation scenario of hog deer (Axis porcinus) in its native range. Indian Forester 126(10):1068–1084Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    Biswas T, Mathur VB, Sawarkar VB (2002) Status of hog deer (Axis porcinus) in India. Report submitted to Wildlife Institute of India, DehradunGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Price SA, Bininda-Emonds ORP, Gittleman JL (2005) A complete phylogeny of the whales, dolphins and even-toed hoofed mammals (Cetartiodactyla). Biol Rev 80:445–473PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Dubost G (2001) Chevrotains. In: MacDonald D, Norris S (eds) The new encyclopedia of mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 500–501Google Scholar
  13. 13.
    Raman TRS (2004) Mouse Deer (Moschiola meminna, Eaxleben, 1777). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 7, no 1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 131–140Google Scholar
  14. 14.
    Blanford WT (1888–1991) The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London, p 617Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    Sankar K, Johnsingh AJT, Acharya B (2004) Blue Bull or Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus, Pallas, 1766). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 71. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 120–143Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    Sharma K, Rahmani AR (2004) Four-horned Antelope or Chowsingha (Tetracerus quadricornis Blainville, 1816). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 7, no 1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 53–60Google Scholar
  17. 17.
    Krishna YC, Clyne PJ, Krishnaswamy J, Kumar NS (2009) Distributional and ecological review of the four horned antelope, Tetracerus quadricornis. Mammalia 73:1–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Rice C (1991) The status of four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis. J Bomb Nat Hist Soc 88:63–66Google Scholar
  19. 19.
    Schaller GB (ed) (1967) The deer and the tiger: a study of wildlife in India. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, p 370Google Scholar
  20. 20.
    Mungall EC, Patel BH, Prasad NLNS, Doherty SE (1981) Conservation and management of the Indian blackbuck antelope (Antilope cervicapra)—a final report US Fish and Wildlife Services, September 1981, UnpublishedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Prasad NLNS (1981) Home range, dispersal, and movement of blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) population in relation to seasonal change in Mudmal and environs. Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Biosciences, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, IndiaGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Effron M (1976) Deciphering gazelle taxonomy with chromosomes. Zoo Nooz 49:12–14Google Scholar
  23. 23.
    Rahmani AR (1991) Present distribution of the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra Linn.) in India, with special emphasis on the lesser known populations. J Bomb Nat Hist Soc 88:35–46Google Scholar
  24. 24.
    Rebholz W, Harley E (1999) Phylogenetic relationships in the bovid subfamily Antilopinae based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. Mol Phylogenet Evol 12:87–94PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Isvaran K (2004) Indian Antelope or Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra Linn. 1758). In: Sankar K, Goyal SP (eds) Ungulates of India. ENVIS bulletin: wildlife and protected areas, vol 7, no 1. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India, p 79–90Google Scholar
  26. 26.
    Groves CP (1985) An introduction to the gazelles. Chinkara 1:4–16Google Scholar
  27. 27.
    Groves CP (1993) The Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Iran, with the description of two new subspecies. J Sci I R Iran 4(3):166–178Google Scholar
  28. 28.
    Groves CP (2003) Taxonomy of ungulates of the Indian subcontinent. J Bomb Nat Hist Soc 100(2&3):341–362Google Scholar
  29. 29.
    Dookia S (2007) Participation of local villagers in conservation of Indian Gazelle or Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) in Thar Desert of Rajasthan, India. Report submitted to Rufford Small Grant Foundation, UK, p 32Google Scholar
  30. 30.
    Rahmani AR, Sankaran R (1991) Blackbuck and Chinkara in the Thar: a changing scenario. J Arid Environ 20:379–391Google Scholar
  31. 31.
    Dookia S (2002) Habitat preference, abundance and group size of Indian Gazelle Gazella bennetti in semi-arid region of Rajasthan. Ph.D. thesis, JNV University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, p 179Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.School of Environment ManagementGuru Gobind Singh Indraprastha UniversityDwarkaIndia
  2. 2.Ecology and Rural Development SocietyJodhpurIndia
  3. 3.Maharaja Ganga Singh UniversityBikanerIndia

Personalised recommendations