Responses of small carnivores to rainforest fragmentation in the southern Western Ghats, India

摘要: Small carnivore abundance from track plot, camera-trap, and spot-lighting surveys were compared between a contiguous tract of tropical rainforest 10 fragments in the southern Western Ghats, India. Although six species recorded rainforests this region, targeted three nocturnal species. was higher rainforests, especially endemic Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, whose occurrence positively infl uenced by food-tree densities altitude, medium-sized (51–100 ha) adjoining shade-coffee plantations than more isolated smaller larger fragments. The omnivorous widespread Indian Viverricula indica mongooses Herpestes spp. frequent relatively undisturbed, large, Kalakad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Thus, small carnivores persist fragmented landscapes with altered community structure, but long-term persistence may require protection private fragments, fostering benign land-uses, restoration degraded areas.