![]() Stratified random sampling, along with quadrat (10 m x 10 m) method was used to assess the crop damage. The study was carried out from June 2013 to May 2016 as part of the documentation of human-wildlife conflict in Malappuram District. The objectives of this study were to document the mode of attack and estimate the extent of damage by Indian crested porcupine in the plantation crops of the forest fringes. The damage to coconut and rubber plantations by the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in the Nilambur Forest Division, Malappuram District was reported for the first time. Hence, it is consideredasageneralist herbivore. Overall the diet of the porcupine comprises 92%vegetative matter and remaining 6.3% comprises of animal matters and 1.5% other materials (stones, threads, etc). Through this method, diversity in food items of the porcupine reflected that the diet of porcupine in summer season (2.2) was more diversif ied as compared to the porcupine diet in the winter season (1.835). Furthermore, the Berger-Parker index (d) of each seasonwas calculated to ensure the variation in diet, by the species dominance in each faecal matter group. Only barks and twigs were found to be signif icantly different seasonally. It was followed by leaves, twigs, flowers and grasses. The results of the study suggest that the porcupines have a diverse diet and the tree barks and seeds were the most consumed items. et al H.indica et al Dietary habits of Indian Crested Porcupine ( ) were studied in the Pench Tiger Reserve India (dry tropical forest), by the faecal analysis. Hence, the rationale forporcupineās diet studieswasdone to know the importance of food in assessing its biological roles in natural andcultivatedecosystems. There have been little studied on porcupine because of their shy nature, nocturnal habits and tendency to live in remote and inaccessible places and, as rodents are unwelcome associates of mankind, serious pests of food, fodderand plantation cropsandarecarriersof anumberof diseases, so rodents have not attracted public attention to the extentwhich isdesired and according to the literature, porcupine is also considered as an economic pest. Gutterman & Herr (1981) reported that the porcupines fed preferably on the olderunderground bulbs. , 2014).Alkon&Saltz (1985) stated that theporcupine in thedesertof highlandof Israel fed intensively on cultivated potatoes. In Iran, is one of the important pests on reforestation in westernoak forests (Khan. et al et al et al., trees and agricultural crops (Khan. , 2005 Chakrborthy 2007), as it causes damage to forest plantations by feeding on roots and bark of succulent plants, resulting in girdles in trees, uprooting of nursery seedlings and planted saplings (Ahmed & Chaudhry, 1977 Greaves & Khan, 1978), fruit et al et al. , 2000 Idris & Rana, 2001 Siddique & Arshad, 2004 Girish. It has long beenrecognizedas forestandagricultural pests in many countries (Prakash, 1976 Sharma & Prasad, 1992 Khan. It isageneralist forager, exploiting awide variety of cultivated and wild plants and consuming both hypogeal and epigeal plant tissues (Gutterman, 1982 Alkon & Salt, 1985 Khan, 2000). ![]() Introduction:Abstract Introduction: Indian crested porcupine is awidely distributed rodent in the subcontinent, inhabiting temperate scrublands, grasslands, forests, Steppe Mountains, sandy deserts (Gurung & Singh, 1996) and caves (Alkon, 1999 Harries.
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