Feeding observations on the Grizzled Giant Squirrel at Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Western Ghats, India

Animal dietary choices help us understand a species' feeding behaviour and are particularly relevant in conservation management. In this study, we aimed to gather knowledge on food niche and the foraging ecology of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. Specifically, the objectives were to identify food composition, the seasonal variation in food choice and feeding technique. Through an observational sampling method, focal animal sampling, the Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary was found to feed on 30 plant species belonging to 18 families. The most utilized plant family was Fabaceae, with eight species, followed by Moraceae (four species) and Anacardiaceae (two species). The consumed species included 22 trees, four climbers, one liana, one paraphyte, one shrub and one succulent species. The squirrel spent the most time feeding on  Bauhinia racemosa (19.79%), followed by Tamarindus indica (14.08%) and Nothopegia beddomei (9.89%). The squirrel's choice of diet was primarily affected by the availability of food tree species and food items rather than the season and non-tree species also have been reported from the diet of Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Even though the Grizzled Giant Squirrel shows plasticity in its food choices, the availability of mature trees and plants as food sources appears important for its conservation in the fragmented riparian forest in the Western Ghats, southern India.

Methods
Observations were made for 10 months between April 2013 to May 2014, and within a month, at least one week was spent in the field. Five transects of 1,000 m were laid after reconnaissance in the riparian habitat based on squirrel presence. Observations were made for each transect both in the forenoon and afternoon for an equal duration. Squirrels were observed using 8x40 Olympus standard binoculars (Olympus Global, Tokyo, Japan). The identification of the plant species was done through photographs and by direct observation using plant identification database(Ref)Different feeding postures and feeding techniques used by the GGS were interpreted by direct observation during the sampling.