Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26
September 2019 | 11(12): 14624–14626
The Himalayan Crestless
Porcupine Hystrix brachyura
Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Rodentia: Hystricidae): first authentic record from Bangladesh
Mohammad Ashraf Ul Hasan 1 & Sufia Akter Neha 2
1 B-8/C-5, Bandhan Complex, Agargaon Taltola
Government Staff Quarter, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh.
2 39/1A, Road
10, Middle Badda, Gulshan,
Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
1 ashrafulhasan.jnu403@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 neha.jnu463@gmail.com
doi: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4861.11.12.14624-14626
|
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:686DEDC0-0CE8-4D65-A188-1C279CAD0605
Editor: Giovanni Amori,
CNR - Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, Roma, Italy. Date
of publication: 26 September 2019 (online & print)
Manuscript details: #4861 | Received 31 January 2019
| Final received 01 March 2019 | Finally accepted 31 August 2019
Citation: Hasan, M.A.U. & S.A. Neha (2019). The Himalayan Crestless Porcupine Hystrix
brachyura Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia: Rodentia: Hystricidae): first authentic record from Bangladesh. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(12): 14624–14626; https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4861.11.12.14624-14626
Copyright: © Hasan & Neha 2019. Creative Commons Attribution
4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by adequate credit to the author(s)
and the source of publication.
Funding: During the
field work of USAID’s Bengal Tiger Monitoring Activity 2018.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing
interests.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the Forest staffs, Supoti
Forest Camp, Sundarbans, Bangladesh who were the source of information to find
out Hystrix brachyura. We
are indebted to Abu Sayeed Nishan for his assistance in the field and
encouragement throughout the work. We are grateful to Noshin
Nawar Jahan, Department of Geography and Environment,
Jahangirnagar University who briskly supported to develop the map. No field
work associating with this study would have been possible without the support
and cooperation of WildTeam, Bangladesh.
Hystrix is a genus of porcupines under the family Hystricidae,
constituted by eight species: Thick-spined Porcupine H.
crassispinis, Philippine Porcupine H. pumila, Sumatran Porcupine H. sumatrae,
Himalayan Crestless Porcupine H. brachyura, Sunda Porcupine H. javanica,
Cape Porcupine H. africaeaustralis, Crested
Porcupine H. cristata, Indian Porcupine H. indica (Myers et at. 2019). The individuals of this genus are
characterized by their coat of sharp quills, strictly nocturnal, primarily
terrestrial, and herbivorous in nature.
This fossorial rodent lives in family units and feeds on fruits, roots,
tubers, barks and carcasses (Jnawali et al. 2011;
Mallick 2012). They are widely
distributed in Africa and southwestern, southern & southeastern
Asia (McKenna & Bell 1997). Hystrix brachyura
is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indochina to the Malay Peninsula and China,
as well as Hainan, Sumatra and Borneo Islands (Lekagul
& McNeely 1988; Lunde et al. 2008; Mallick 2012). In the literature (Corbet & Hill 1992;
Agrawal 2000; Wilson et al. 2016), this species already reported from
Bangladesh; however, not found any authentic record. Hystrix brachyura is categorized as Least Concern globally
(Lunde et al. 2016). The species is
reported to be encountered in a wide variety of habitats such as temperate
forests, tropical and subtropical montane forests to open areas, rocky
mountains, riverine and ravines (Chung et al. 2016; Lunde et al. 2016). No records, however, have been confirmed this
species from mangrove forest. Hence, the
present study elucidates the first confirmation record of Hystrix
brachyura from the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest,
Bangladesh.
During our social survey in
Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh, the Hystrix
brachyura was sighted in the Supoti
Forest Camp (22.0470N & 89.8270E), Sundarbans East
Zone, Bangladesh (Figure 1). On 22 May
2018, opportunistically an individual of porcupine was directly spotted but it
was soon fled away into the shrubs and unidentified at that moment. The
observation area was dominated by Acanthus ilicifolius
and Phragmites karka. To substantiate the
confirmation, a subsequent attempt was taken on 24 May 2018. Though several studies have revealed that
various kinds of bait lured to particular species in general, or attract more
of a prescribed species has been of specific focus (Oswald & Flake 1994);
considering the facts, pieces of apples and potatoes were used to attract
porcupine in a suitable place where a clear observation could be made. One more time, an individual attracted to
bait was seen under the shrub of Phragmites karka
at 19.35h. Finally, a clear visual
observation as well as several photographs were taken. We recorded the geographic coordination using
Garmin GPSMAP 64S.
The head-body length of Hystrix brachyura is
59–72 cm and the tail 6–11 cm long (Francis 2008). The weight is 8kg while short and sturdy
limbs are covered with brown hairs which possess four claws on the forelimb and
five on the hind limb (Menon 2014; Parr 2003; Jnawali
et al. 2011; Lunde et al. 2016).
Compared to Hystrix indica, it has relatively shorter dorsal crest; smaller
tail instead of a visible tail (Menon 2014).
Unlike Hystrix indica
that has more than two dark bands on long dorsal quills, Hystrix
brachyura has only one (Image 1). Another significant characteristic that can
be distinguished from the Hystrix indica is its blunt muzzle (Image 2).
Hystrix brachyura is one of the three species
found in southeastern Asia (Francis 2008; Chung et
al. 2016). A total of 127 mammalian
species including two species of Hystricidae family
has been recorded so far by IUCN Bangladesh (2015), namely, Atherurus
macrourus and Hystrix
indica; therefore, Hystrix
brachyura is new addition to the mammalian fauna
of the country. Moreover, 42 species of
mammals are found in Sundarbans, Bangladesh (IRMP 2010) and 49 mammalian
species are recorded at Sundarban Tiger Reserve in
India (Mallick 2011). Both sites of the
Sundarbans mangrove region have not reported Hystrix
brachyura, thus, this detection supports that the
mangrove forest is another potential habitat.
Hystrix brachyura is a poorly studied rodent and
therefore, little information available on its ecology across the southeastern Asian region.
The species is threatened in its habitat due to habitat destruction and
hunting for food and therapeutic purposes (Molur et
al. 2005; Borschberg 2006). Consequently, rapid climate change and
anthropogenic pressures affect the mangrove ecosystem which could eventually
make the species vulnerable. An
empirical study on this elusive species is needed which will fill the gap in
porcupine studies and help in the promotion of conservation strategies.
For
figure & images - - click here
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