Table of Contents
Overview
Brief Summary
Biology
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Comprehensive Description
Description
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Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
Nilgiri tahrs (Hemitragus hylocrius) were once abundant in grass-woodland mosaic habitat in rugged hills and mountain slopes of the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The endangered Nilgiri tahrs are endemic to the Western Ghats Mountains in south India. They are now limited to some 17 populations in the Nilgiri, Anamalai, Palani and Highwavy Hills, the Eravikulam area of the High Range, and possibly a few other mountains in the Western Ghats.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental
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Range
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Nilgiri tahrs are goat-like animals with a short coat and short, laterally flattened and curved horns. Males are black with a silver saddle and bristly mane, while females are grayish brown with white bellies also having latterly-flattened curved horns. Measurements of these animals are as follows: head and body length 90-140 cm; height at the shoulder 61-106 cm; tail length 9-12 cm; weight 50-100 kg.
Range mass: 50 to 100 kg.
Range length: 90 to 140 cm.
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; ornamentation
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
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Habitat
They prefer grass-woodland mosaic habitat in rugged hills, mountain slopes and plateaus at altitudes ranging from 1,200-2,200 m. Nilgiri tahr frequent the fringes of the grass-covered plateaus dominated by two main types of grass, Eulalia phaeotrix and Andropogon polyptichus.
Range elevation: 1200 to 2200 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: scrub forest ; mountains
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Habitat
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Preferred foods include various grasses and forbs. Species included among these various forage types are Eulalia phaeothrix, Andropogon polyptichus, Chrysopogon zelan, Eupatorium adenophoru, Strobilanthes kunthianus and Cymbopogon spp.
Plant Foods: leaves
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
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Associations
Ecosystem Roles
Nilgiri tahrs serve as a food source for predators such as tigers, wolves, and dholes. Their grazing maintains grass levels, which suppresses the probability of fire in grassland communities.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
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Predation
Anti-predator adaptions in Nilgiri tahrs include group defense and using horns for defense. Native predators of the Nilgiri tahr are the tiger (Panthera tigris), Indian wolves (Canis lupus) and dholes (Cuon alpinus). Another major predator are humans who poach these animals by means of shooting and snaring.
Known Predators:
- tigers (Panthera tigris)
- gray wolves (Canis lupus)
- dholes (Cuon alpinus)
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Known predators
Canis lupus
Panthera tigris
Cuon alpinus
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
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Life History and Behavior
Behavior
Communication and Perception
The primary modes of communication are visual, auditory and olfactory. Pheromones released in their urine communicate information about mate identification and reproductive activity, spacing mechanisms, and alarm.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic
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Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Nilgiri tahrs have a relatively short life expectancy. Life expectancy at birth is estimated to be 3-3.5 years, though they may live longer.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 3.0-3.5 (high) years.
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Reproduction
Nilgiri tahrs are polygynous, males compete for access to females through battles. Males will mate with as many females as they can gain access to.
Mating System: polygynous
Mating takes place throughout the year, but there is a birth peak in winter. Wild Nilgiri tahrs rarely give birth to twins. A single offspring is born after a gestation period of 180-242 days, and females can give birth twice in one year. Reproductive output varies greatly from year to year. Nilgiri tahrs breed well in captivity.
Breeding interval: Breeding occurs twice yearly.
Breeding season: Mating occurs throughout the year but may peak in winter.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Range gestation period: 6 to 8.07 months.
Average gestation period: 7.03 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); viviparous
Average number of offspring: 1.3.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 669 days.
Females nurse and care for their offspring until they reach independence.
Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care ; post-independence association with parents
- World Conservation Monitoring Center. 2001. "Status accounts for selected threatened Indian mammals" (On-line ). Accessed 30 October 2002 at http://www.wcmc.org.uk/igcmc/rl_anml/indmams.html.
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
History
- 2000Endangered
- 1996Endangered
- 1994Vulnerable(Groombridge 1994)
- 1990Vulnerable(IUCN 1990)
- 1988Vulnerable(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
- 1986Vulnerable(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
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Conservation Status
Nilgiri tahrs have been protected by government law in India since 1972. These animals are likely candidates for reintroduction and also breed well in captivity. They are not only threatened by poaching, they are threatened by grazing, competition with domestic stock, hydroelectric projects, and habitat loss to agriculture and eucalyptus and wattle plantations. Ecological studies are needed to form a basis of management plans since sustainable harvesting and/or licensed sport hunting of a restored population could be a valuable source of protein and income for local people in a safe and legal mannerr.
In 1986 total numbers were estimated at 2,000 2,200, relatively unchanged since 1978. Available evidence suggests that the three largest populations have remained approximately stable in recent years. The largest known populations consist of nearly 550 animals each existing in the Eravikulam and Nilgiri Hills National Parks. These two populations comprise approximately 50% of the remaining animals. The remaining populations are of less than 100 animals.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: endangered
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Threats
Threats
Populations of these animals are small and isolated, making them vulnerable to local extinction. Habitat patches for Nilgiri tahr are naturally discontinuous, but some habitat fragmentation may have anthropogenic causes (C. Rice pers. comm., 2008). The species faces competition from domestic livestock, whose overgrazing has allowed for the invasion of graze-resistant weedy species into preferred meadows, thus in competition with the native grasses that tahr prefers (Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998). Continued conversion of tahr habitat to agricultural land has resulted in a present distribution that is about one-tenth of its historical range (Mishra and Johnsingh, 1998; Kannery, 2002; IUCN, 2004).
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Threats
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Management
Conservation Actions
The creation of Eravikulam and Silent Valley National Parks, Mukurti, Anamalai, and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary and the Kalakadu-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, together offer an important degree of protection to the Nilgiri Tahr. Eravikulam National Park and its surroundings has been cited as having nearly 1,000 individuals (Kannery, 2002), although others have questioned this figure, believing it to be too high (Abraham et al. 2006, M. Alembath pers. comm., 2008).
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is removing exotic monocultures along the periphery of the Mukurti National Park. In addition, institutions such as the Nilgiri Wildlife Association, High Range Wildlife Association, Ramnad District Wildlife Association, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Bombay Natural History Society and the Wildlife Institute of India, are active in promoting conservation of Nilgiri tahr. Conservation measures proposed: The Nilgiri tahr requires continuous study and monitoring, because its small and isolated populations are extremely vulnerable. With proper conservation, including habitat maintenance and minimising mortality due to hunting, it is possible that with time, the species could be considered no longer threatened, if the following are accomplished: 1) Establish the proposed Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. This would include the Bandipur, Nagarhole and Silent Valley National Parks, the Mudumalai, Mukurti and Wynad Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Bolampatti Reserved Forest and the proposed Karipuzha National Park (WCMC, 1988c), and encompass a Nilgiri tahr population of 400 to 450 individuals (Davidar, 1978; Rice, 1984). An extension to such a reserve has also been proposed (Rice, 1990) to include peripheral cliffs used by tahr as escape and birthing terrain. A revised biosphere reserve design of these conservation units has been suggested by Rodgers and Panwar (1988). 2) Enact management proposals that include the systematic monitoring of tahr populations, as well as possible re-introductions (Rice, 1988a, 1990; Rai and Johnsingh, 1992). There is good potential for re-introductions in areas such as the Kalakadu-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve where several highlands had small populations of tahr some 20 to 40 years ago, but today are very small or non-existent (Rai and Johnsingh, 1992). 3) Consider low impact recreational use (e.g. trekking, fishing) of suitable areas, especially where such activities would benefit (and compensate) the local economy for restrictions on traditional activities such as hunting by local inhabitants. 4) Co-ordinate Nilgiri tahr with other wildlife and habitat conservation efforts, because the Western Ghats are one of India’s major wildlife areas.
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Conservation
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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
These animals may compete for grazing with domestic livestock.
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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Nilgiri tahrs are a valuable source of protein and income for local people. Unfortunately, poaching is the primary means of harvesting this animal. Therefore, this may be a positive economic importance for the local people but the continued poaching may eventually lead to the demise of the species.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material; ecotourism
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Wikipedia
Nilgiri Tahr
The Nilgiri tahr', Nilgiritragus hylocrius, known locally as the Nilgiri ibex or simply ibex, is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.[2] Despite its local name, it is more closely related to the sheep of the Ovis genus than the ibex and wild goats of the Capra genus.
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Names
In the Tamil Language it is called varaiaadu, the term being composed of two Tamil words, wurrai a precipice, and aadu, a goat. It is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu.[3] It was previously named Capra warryato by Gray.[4]
Its closest relatives are sheep (genus Ovis). Until 2005, it was placed with the Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) and the Arabian tahr (Arabitragus jayakari) in the genus Hemitragus. However, it has recently been transferred to a new genus Nilgiritragus because it is genetically more similar to members of the genus Ovis than to other tahrs.[5]
Description
The Nilgiri tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than the females, and have a darker color when mature. Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger in the males, reaching up to 40 centimetres (16 in) for males and 30 centimetres (12 in) for females. Adult males weigh 80 to 100 kilograms (180 to 220 lb) and stand about 100 centimetres (39 in) tall at the shoulder. Adult males develop a light grey area on their backs and are thus called "saddlebacks".
Habitats
These tahrs inhabit the open montane grassland habitat of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. At elevations from 1,200 to 2,600 metres (3,900 to 8,500 ft), the forests open into grasslands interspersed with pockets of stunted forests, locally known as sholas. These grassland habitats are surrounded by dense forests at the lower elevations. The Nilgiri tahrs formerly ranged over these grasslands in large herds, but hunting and poaching in the nineteenth century reduced their population to as few as 100 animals by the early 20th century. Since that time their populations have increased somewhat, and presently number about 2000 individuals. Their range extends over 400 kilometres (250 mi) from north to south, and Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population. The other significant concentration is in the Nilgiri Hills, with smaller populations in the Anamalai Hills, Periyar National Park, Palni Hills and other pockets in the Western Ghats south of Eravikulam, almost to India's southern tip. A small population of tahr numbering around 200 are known to inhibit the Ponmudi hills in the Trivandrum district of Kerala. One of the hills in the Ponmudi range, namely Varaiaadu Mottai (mottai roughly translate as a 'hill' in local language) has also found its name from Nilgiri tahr, indicating presence of the animal in that area.
Studies
Several studies have occurred about Nilgiri tahr across the last three decade. But the best known and one of the earliest was the two and half year long research at Eravikulam National park in Kerala by Dr. Clifford G. Rice of Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and his Indian colleague M.C. Philip in the late Seventies. Dr. Rice, then a graduate student at the Texas A & M University and a fellow with the American Institute of Indian studies, conducted extensive studies and data collection on tahr herds in Eravikulam. He spent months with the herd and habituated them to his constant presence. This helped him to extensively photograph the animals and color collar about 50 females. The focus of his study was tahr behaviour, their social hierarchy and mating rituals.[6]
Other notable studies on tahr include research works by E.R.C Davidar, who conducted the first census of tahr in India and papers published by noted Biologist George Schaller, an expert on field work techniques. Inspired by Davidar's work, Schaller visited Nilgiris and the duo collaborated for sometime. Schaller, in his book, 'The Stones of Silence', pays tribute to Davidar's efforts in saving the endangered Nilgiri Tahr.
References
- ^ Alempath, M. & Rice, C. (2008). Nilgiritragus hylocrius. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 5 April 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of endangered.
- ^ tnenvis.nic.in/PDF/biodiversity.pdf
- ^ Prater, S.H. 1948, 1971. The book of Indian Animals, Bombay Natural History Society and Oxford University Press, India. 324 pages. ISBN 0195621697.
- ^ Hamilton, General Douglas (1892). Hamilton, Edward. ed. Records of sport in southern India chiefly on the Annamullay, Nielgherry and Pulney mountains, also including notes on Singapore, Java and Labuan, from journals written between 1844 and 1870. London: R. H. Porter. pp. Illustrated, photo. Frontis of the author. Numerous illustrations, some full page. 284 pages. Quarto. (ref=page 113). OCLC 4008435. http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CMD=lccn%2220023293%22&v3=1&CNT=10.
- ^ Ropiquet, A. & Hassanin, A. 2005. Molecular evidence for the polyphyly of the genus Hemitragus (Mammalia, Bovidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 36(1):154-168
- ^ Rice, Clifford G. (1988). Reproductive biology of Nilgiri tahr. Journal of Zoology, London, 214: 269-284 (pdf).
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