Seasonal variation in the activity budget of Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in tropical deciduous forest, Rajasthan, India

摘要

Knowledge of the activity patterns and budget provide insight into how animal adapt to the environment through behavioural modification. Time activity budget of Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaturista philippensis) was studied in the tropical deciduous forests of the Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India, from March 2009 to February 2010. The study revealed that the species exhibited a bimodal activity pattern with a first peak in the early-night, while a second lower peak occurred during the late-night. Annual activity budget was mostly devoted to resting (45.85 %) and feeding (27.72 %) followed by locomotion (10.84 %), grooming (6.20 %), exploring (5.71 %), inside tree cavity (2.15 %), and calling (1.24 %) activities. Except grooming (P < 0.05) and inside tree cavity (P < 0.0001), all other activities did not show significant difference (P > 0.05) among seasons. Among all seasons, the species was found more active in winter season.