Abstract
India is a home to diverse and rich wildlife resources which includes over 52 critically endangered and 51 endangered species. According to IUCN red list of threatened species (Version 2014.3), the grizzled giant squirrel Ratufa macroura is one of the giant arboreal squirrels that inhabited the riverine forest of Srivilliputhur and shares eastern watershed of the Western Ghats located between 9° 21′ to 9° 48’N and 77° 21′ to 77° 46′E. The decline of this species is due to habitat fragmentation due to urban development and the unscrupulous poaching of the squirrels for their fur. Remaining populations in India appear to be significantly more threatened. Great deal of efforts has been made in the last 60 years to preserve the natural habitats. In 1989 the habitat is declared as ‘Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary’ in order to protect this inhabitant. The nesting and feeding behaviour observations infer the survival of this giant squirrel which mainly depends on certain group of trees in the dry deciduous and riverine forests of this sanctuary. These squirrels are diurnal and actively forage during early and late hours of the day. In this chapter presented the ecological study and management action plan for the afforestation in the affected and fragmented forest area of R. macroura’s habitat to conserve the threatened giant squirrel.
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Acknowledgements
The author specially thanks the State Forestry Research Institute, Kolapakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Forest Department, for allowing us to collaborate in the research work under taken by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, afforestation programme and biodiversity conservation programme. Special thanks were also acknowledged for their financial assistance and valuable guidance during the research period in the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary to assess the present status of biodiversity and of Ratufa macroura through plant-animal interactions.
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Vanitharani, J. (2018). Conservation Status and Guidelines for the Maintenance of Endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura in Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary. In: Sivaperuman, C., Venkataraman, K. (eds) Indian Hotspots. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6983-3_17
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