"Melanism" in Kerala Forests

[V S Sankar]

The cmera traps fixed at the Parmbikulam forests have reveled some interesting aspects of wildlife.They got photos of leopards and deers showing melanistic characteristics,The Hindu has reorted.

The black spots on the leopard were found closely packed to give it a disigner coat,the paper adds.

The deer's DNA analysis of the excreta proved that it was a male spotted deer.

Please click on the link to read the article.......


http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article3658858.ece?textsize=small&test=2

Regards

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Melanism in leopards is documented many times and brought into popular consciousness by Kenneth Anderson's "The Black Panther of Sivanipalli". However melanism in case of tigers is very rare and till date the only reports are from Similipal Tiger Reserve. First a melanistic tiger skin was recovered from Baripada, a town on the outskirts of Similipal in Odisha. On interrogation, it was understood that there were two such tigers in Similipal. This was in the late nineties.

A couple of years back the camera traps of Wildlife Institute of India revealed the presence of melanistic tiger in Similipal. So it is heartening to know that such tigers still exist in Similipal. Unfortunately, Similipal is being destroyed due to the poachers who are freely operating in the name of maoists and due to the official apathy. These are the jewels in the crown of India. When will we wake up to protect these jewels?

Sabyasachi

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

On Chital:
................
"In some animals the white spots are noticeably small, and in them the burnt sienna of the surrounding coat has a purplish cast or sheen to it, a cast which does not appear to be directly related to the animal to be in breeding condition, though in stags in hard horn the sheen was most apparent."-M.Krishnan