First Record of Honey Badger, Mellivora capensis in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Iran
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(1): 36-40 (2018)
by Arak University, Iran (http://jwb.araku.ac.ir/)
DOI: 10.22120/jwb.2018.30118
Short Communication
First Record of Honey Badger, Mellivora capensis in Sistan
and Baluchistan Province, Iran
Mohammad Ali Adibi1*, Saeed
2 2
Mahmoudi , Hossein Asgari , Ashraf Ali
Hosseini2, Ahmad Emami Zarandini2 Introduction
1
*Department of Habitats and Biodiversity, Faculty The Ratel or Honey Badger Mellivora capensis
of Environment and Energy, Science and Research (Mustelidae) is widespread across parts of
Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, western Asia and
e-mail: madibi60@gmail.com middle Asia the Indian peninsula. It is classified
2
Iran Department of Environment, Sistan and as least concern by IUCN and in the appendix III
Baluchistan Provincial Office, Zahedan, Iran of the CITES It is essentially nocturnal, but may
Received: 15 September 2017 / Revised: 28 October 2017 / be active during the day in areas where there is
Accepted: 29 November 2017 / Published online: 21 February 2018. little human disturbance, and during seasons
Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology, Arak University,
Iran. when day temperatures are cooler (Do Linh San
et al. 2016). It is considered to be one of the
rarest mammals of Iran and it has been recorded
Abstract from Dez Wildlife Refuge and Ram Hormoz in
the southwest, Boroueiyeh Wildlife Refuge and
One of the most important conflict between Khabar National Park in Kerman province in the
human and wildlife is road accidents. Each year, central part of this country, and near Gorgan and
a significant number of wildlife are killed by alongside the Atrak river in the northeast and
vehicle collisions. On 8 Aguste 2016, a carcass Fars province (Joolaee et al. 2012, Lay 1967,
of a female Honey Badger or Ratel Mellivora Harrington and Dareshuri 1976, Etemad 1985,
capensis, was observed on the boundary of Ziaie 2008) (Fig.1).
Gando protected area in Chabahar –Sarbaz road, Honey Badger in southwest and the northeast of
38 kilometers southwest of Negour. This is the Iran is belong to M. c. wilsoni and M. c. indica,
first record of honey badger Mellivora capensis respectively. Also in some reports suggested
in Sistan and Baluchistan province. The cause of that M. c. buechneri would have existed in north
the animal’s death was being hit by a passing of Iran (Karami et al. 2008).
vehicle in this road. This was reported in
Material and methods
southwest of Iran, 600 kilometers away from the
On 5 August 2016, 1500 meters distance from
easternmost spot it was seen before in central
Dampak village, Chabahar – Sarbaz road,
Iran. This species, for the first time was recorded
Balushestan area, Sistan and Baluchistan
in a Baluchi habitat with the distance of 1300
Province, Iran, a corpse of a Honey badger, died
meters from Bahu Kalat River, which is a
in accident by a passing vehicle, was found and
completely different habitat in compare to other
reported by Chabahar Department of
reported habitat of this species.
Environment. After checking the corpse, it was
indicated that the reason of its death was a car
Keywords: honey badger, distribution range, crash. The report of this precious species for the
Baluchi habitat, Bahu Kalat River. first time from this area with geographical
57 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(1): 36-40 (2018)
coordinate of 61°21′24′′ eastern longitude and which in some parts of the route, passes the
35°41′ 25′′ northern latitude is very important border of Gando protected area and the Bahu
because this region has a noticeable distance to Kalat riversides. This is a special habitat in
the nearest and easternmost of where it was southeast of Iran where has valuable and
presented before in Iran (about 600 km). This different faune and flore than other habitats of
road is one of the main paths in Baluchistan Iran.
Figure 1. Violet points are pervious repot of Ratel observation based on Misonne (1959),
Etemad (1985), Ziaie (2008), Joolaee et al. (2012), new records by the Iranian Department
of the Environment from 2012 to 2014 and green point is Ratel new record in Sistan and
Baluchistan province
Gando protected area with 465181 hectare is is mostly marl with a limited of salinity and
located in the southeast of Sistan and alkalinity in some parts. According to the
Bluchistan province, Iran, between Chabahar recently droughts, lands are mostly unutilized
and Sarbaz cities, near the Iran – Pakistan and only some dispersed patches of Palm-
eastern border and coasts of Oman Sea. In Iran, groves and farms can be observed there. At the
this area is the only habitat of crocodylus same time, river-bed of Bahu Kalat in this plain
palustris, a rare and native crocodile of Iran. is become widely and because of the low slope,
The nearest human residential area to the place its velocity is lowest in this region therefore
that Honey Badger was observed, is Pat village rounded lands of river is become a suitable
where located in 150 meters away from this region for growth of different trees and shrubs
site. Also the observation area is 530 meters and consequently a considerable variety of bird,
away from farm lands. This area is a vast plain rodents and mammals can be seen in this area.
with low slope, heavy texture and deep soil that
38 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(1): 36-40 (2018)
In addition to crocodylus palustris, this area has carnivores being hit by vehicles in these roads.
a valuable wildlife species, such as Canis lupus, Although there is a considerable variation of
Hyaena hyena, Caracal caracal, Felis rodents, birds and other natural baits, but long
silvestris, Felis chaus, Felis margarita, Vulpes periods of drought in consecutive years has had
rueppellii, Vulpes vulpes, Herpestes edwardsii, a great impact on breeding of the preys, on the
Herpestes javanicus, Funambulus pennantii, other side, the presence of stray dogs and
Gazella bennettii, Chlamydotis undulata and a sheepdogs is a threat to the young and less
variety of water birds and waders. experienced animals.
Also the dominant plant species of this area are This species, in Baluchistan, is known as
Salsola drummondii, Suaeda vermiculata, "Goorpat". Because its characteristics, being
Salsola imbricata, and Haloxylon recurvum. nocturnal and stealth and the fact that it does not
Capparis decidua is considered as one of conflict with human, people mostly do not
important tree in this region furthermore some know much about it.
sporadic trees such as Acacia nilotica, Prosopis Honey badger is a harmless animal in the
koelziana, Prosopis cineraria, Acacia thoughts and beliefs of local and indigenous
ehrenbergiana are being observed. At the end people. Due to the tracks, signs, and dens of
of Bahu Kalat river’s delta next to Oman Sea, Honey badger, the native people are aware of
there is a special microclimate because of the existence of it in this area; as yet any
Mangrove forests that its dominant plant conflict between Honey badger and the local
species is Avicennia marina. It creates a people have not been reported in this area while
beautiful monospecies forest, which by tidal Turk Qashqaei et al. (2015) and Joolaee et al.
movements of the sea water, some part of this (2012) reported that Honey badger were killed
is coming out of water or plunging periodically. by local people due to hunting farm animals that
Other important species are Tamarix aphylla, T. this may be due to lack of natural prey in those
dioica, T. mascatensis, T. stricta, Saccharum region. However, establishing warning signs to
ravennae, Calotropis procera, Prosopis notify people and drivers in the areas where
koelziana, Maerua crassifolia, Ziziphus spina– wildlife has more movement is an effective
christi, Alhagi mannifera, Aerva persica, and factor to reducing car accidents in the roads.
Hammada salicornica.
Biometry of body and skull
After transferring the carcass to the Department
Results and Discussion of Environment, biometry was done and its
Outspread human residential areas, low density skeleton and skull was cleaned. Average body
of the population, suitable vegetation, a measurements in mm are: total length of body
noticeable variety of prey, and available foods 610, length of tail 195, length of the foot 115
in the region, existence of Bahu Kalat River and and average skull measurements in mm of
gathering birds and rodents around it and also honey badger are: greatest length of the skull
absence of natural enemies make this habitat to 141, depth of the skull 64, condylobasal length
one of the best and safest places for Honey 133, palatal length 61, postpalatal length 61,
badger living. But it should be noted that one zygomatic breadth 81, mastoidal breadth 80,
important threat to this species in this region is interorbital breadth 34, postorbital breadth 32,
roads and pathways between villages and breadth of braincase 64, width of rostrum 39,
residential areas. length of rostrum 35, length of nasals 24,
Although this is the first formal report of Honey occipitonasal length 114, length of mandible 97
badger that was killed by car crash in this (Fig. 4).
region, but there are many reports of other
56 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(1): 36-40 (2018)
Figure 2. Dead Honey Badger, 1500 meters from Dampak village, Chabahar – Sarbaz road,
Balushestan area, Iran 5 August 2016, (photograph: Ahmad Emami Zarandini).
Figure 4. Dorsal, ventral, and lateral views of
Figure 3. A: Dead Honey Badger B: Accident cranial and lateral view of mandible of
location Iran 5 August 2016, (photograph: A. A. Mellivora capensis (Photograph: M. A. Adibi)
Hosseini).40 | Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity 2(1): 36-40 (2018)
References
Cheesman R. E. 1920. Report on the mammals the mammals of Iran. Lynx (Praha), 39(1):
of Mesopotamia. Journal of the Bombay 63–102.
Natural History Society 27: 323–346. Lay D. M. 1967. A study of the mammals of Iran
Do Linh San, E., Begg, C., Begg K., Abramov, resulting from t from the Street expeditions
A.V. 2016. Mellivora capensis. The IUCN of 1962–63. Fieldiana, Zoology 54: 1–282.
Red List of Threatened Species 2016: Misonne X. 1959. Analyse zoogéographique des
Downloaded on 19 February 201. mammifères de l’Iran. Mémoires de
Etemad E. 1985. The mammals of Iran, Volume l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de
II. Tehran, Iran: Iranian Department of Belgique. Deuxième Série 59: 1–157.
Environment. Turk Qashqaei A., Joslin P., Dibadj P. 2015.
Harrington F. A., Dareshuri B. F. 1976. A guide Distribution and conservation status of
to the mammals of Iran. Tehran, Iran.: Honey Badgers Mellivora capensis in Iran.
Iranian Department of the Environment. Small Carnivore Conservation 52 & 53:
Joolaee L., Ansari M., Ghadiran T. 2012. First 101–107.
record of Honey Badger Mellivora capensis Ziaie, H. 2008. A field guide to the mammals of
from Fars province, Iran. Small Carnivore Iran. Tehran, Iran: Iran Wildlife Center.
Conservation 47: 77–78. Elbroch M. 2006. Animal skulls a guide to North
Karami M., Hutterer R., Benda P., Siahsarvie R., American species. Mechanicsburg,
Krystufek B. 2008. Annotated check-list of Pennsylvania: Stackpole books.You can also read
