FOOD AND FEEDING OF SLOTH BEAR (Melursus ursinus) IN ARAVALLI HILLS OF RAJASTHAN, INDIA

摘要

Three species of bears are found in India: Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), Brown bear (Ursus arctos) and Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos tibetanus). Sloth bear is more widely distributed throughout India than Brown bear or Himalayan black bear, but due to forest fragmentation and habitat loss the sloth bear population is now isolated in the Indian sub-continent. In the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, they still maintain their populations in areas like Mount Abu Sanctuary, Ranthambhor National Park and Keladevi Sanctuary, where sizeable populations of sloth bears are found. This paper describes the food habits of the sloth bear in Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and the consumption of a variety of plant parts in different seasons. Data was collected during a long-term eco-behavioral study of Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus) from 1994 to 2000.