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.