MAMMALIA: MAMMALS

Physical Description

The Sindh Ibex resembles some of the species of Wild Goats that live on remote islands of the eastern Mediterranean and in the mountains of Turkey. They are stocky, thickset animals, with strong limbs and broad hooves. Until the age of two, they are a yellowish brown to a reddish grey colour with a dark brown crest running down their backs from between their shoulders to the base of their tails. Males have a dorsal crest of long black and grey hair. This makes them look larger in size and gives them a high-shouldered look. The mature male can also be distinguished by the dark brown colour of his belly, beard, face and the outside of his limbs.

Female Ibexes are beardless and have short backward curving horns that measure up to 150mm. Males, on the other hand, have long scimitar-shaped horns that are about 107cm long. The world record length of a horn was a specimen shot in Sindh’s Kirthar Range by General E.C. Marston, in 1870. The horn measured 133.4cm in length.

Adult males measure 1.3 to 1.4m from the tip of their noses to the base of their tails and the tail length is usually 12-15cm long. They stand 85-95cm tall at the shoulders, while females are about 55-60cm tall. Males weigh between 45 and 90kg and females weigh between 25 and 55kg.

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

These animals are able to survive at both sea level as well as at altitudes of 3,350m (recorded in the Koh-i-Maran Range). Their main requirement seems to be areas of rough terrain where domestic goats and their shepherds are not able to go - and the Ibexes are therefore safe from human and other disturbances. They are capable of living in areas of sparse vegetation and water. They exist in the mountainous ranges of Southern Balochistan from the Makran coastal range at Pasni, right across to the Sindh Kohistan and Kirthar Ranges in the east.

The Ibex grazes while lying down, during the early morning and late afternoon. During the hottest months of the year (May and June) they may graze during the night and rest in the shade during the day. They feed on leaves of smaller bushes, shrubs and grasses.

Breeding and Other Patterns/Habits

Mating starts in early September and lasts until the end of October. The gestation period is from 150 to 170 days and the young are therefore born between late January and the end of March. When there have been good showers and the vegetation is abundant almost every female Ibex will give birth to twins; otherwise one kid per female is the normal ratio. Kids suckle until they are 4 to 5 months old and remain quite attached to their mothers until she gives birth again. The young are able to stand upright and move around just two hours after their birth and attempt to jump up steep rocks when they are just seven days old. They are usually unsuccessful in their attempts and fall but land more or less unhurt.

These goats are extremely agile and can make standing leaps of 1.75m straight up. They can also slide down perpendicular rock faces that have drops of up to 4-6m. Their balance is fantastic; they will characteristically cross their legs and lean bodies forward or backward in order to maintain their equilibrium on steep slopes.

Young kids bleat for their mothers, while adult animals make loud snorting sounds in case of an alarm. From a distance this may sound like the horn of a car.

Status

The Ibex has to compete with domestic flocks for food. Domestic goats also carry the risk of disease. Their main predators are leopards and jackals. Local villagers also hunt them for both food and trophies. A Golden Eagle was recorded carrying off a young kid (Khan Mhd. Khan and Syed Asad Ali: 4^th February 1985). The Kirthar Reserve, which spans 308,733 acres, is said to house up to 10,695 ibex (November 2000 survey).

2000 Red List Status:                                   Vulnerable

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: HYAENA HYAENA
COMMON NAME: STRIPED HYENA
ORDER: CARNIVORA
FAMILY: HYAENIDAE – HYAENAS
GENUS: HYAENA

Physical Description

The hyena is a large dog-like animal. Adults are a tawny-yellow colour, while younger animals are usually greyish white in colour. There is an obvious crest of long hair that looks like a mane and extends from the crown of the head to the pelvis. It derives its name from the vertical black stripes that run along its body. The broadness of the stripes varies; they are broad along the flanks and become narrower around the outer surface of all four legs. Younger hyenas have more conspicuous and bold stripes.

The hyena has a large head, massive jaws, a dog-like naked snout and upright triangular ears. The ears are black skinned and are sparsely haired. The back of its head leads on to high sloping shoulders. The fur of the throat and neck region is black and has coarse and thick fur, which thins out during the summer.

All four legs are relatively slender and the hind legs appear to be weak. The fore feet are also larger in size than the hind feet. They have four toes with blunt non-retractable nails. The male animal stands about 68-76cm high at the shoulders and can weigh up to 54kg, though average weights range from 36-41kg. Females weigh around 4.5kg less than males (according to Dunbar Brander). The combined head and body length is 104.8 cm with the tail being about 30.7cm long.

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

Hyenas inhabit rough, rocky and hilly areas and are absent from forested areas. The Striped Hyena occurs in the Balochistan mountainous areas of up to 1820m elevation. They used to be commonly found in the Indus Plain of Sindh but are now near extinction in the areas west of the Indus. They are, however, still found in areas east of the River where sand dunes are found. They also occur in the Indus Plain’s arid tracts, where human settlements are sparse, and in the Dadu and Larkana districts. They spend most of the day underground in burrows or in caves.

The hyenas feed mainly on bones and old carcasses that have been left by vultures and thus are of some value as scavengers. They also feed on rodents and small animals like porcupines and are known to attack and kill domestic animals, although their victims are usually the sick or weak.

Breeding Patterns

This species has often been observed roaming around in pairs and are assumed to form long lasting bonds. The young are believed to come during the spring and summer months and are blind. The gestation period ranges from 82 to 90 days. There are 2-6 offspring per litter.

Status

Hyenas have definitely decreased in number over the past few years. They used to be present in large numbers in Dera Ismail Khan, but today due to extensive hunting can rarely be sighted there.

2000 Red List Status:                                   Low risk / near threatened

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: URUS THIBETANUS
COMMON NAME: ASIATIC BLACK BEAR OR HIMALAYAN BLACK BEAR
ORDER: CARNIVORA
FAMILY: URSIDAE – BEARS
GENUS: URUS

Physical Description

In the northern regions of Pakistan the Black Bear has a dense, shiny black coat which can grow up to 50mm long. However, the Balochistan subspecies has a coat that is a reddish brown colour and is shorter and coarser.

The bear’s body is almost completely black, with the exception of a creamy-yellow ‘V’ that extends from the middle of its sternum to the armpits, and a reddish brown muzzle. It has round ears that are set far apart, the tips of which have a long fringe of hair. The claws on its forefeet are sharp, horny and sharply curved. These feet, especially the fore feet, are adapted to the food preferences of the animal and help it to climb up trees to forage. All four feet (both fore and hind) have five digits as well as naked black pads covering the soles.

These animals lack the shoulder hump that some other species have and their tails are mere stumps, which measure from 75 to 100mm. Male bears of this species are usually much larger than females and therefore weigh a lot more. An adult male specimen was recorded to weigh 173kg while an adult female weighed only 47kg (Col. Stockley, 1962). Another male was recorded to weigh 113kg, and measured 1.33m long (Pocok, 1941). Females are on average around 30cm (1 foot) shorter than males.

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

This bear prefers moist and temperate forests but, unlike the Brown Bear, will not cross the permanent tree line and ascend into the alpine region. It will however descend into tropical pine forests.

They are fond of acorns of the Holyoke tree during the fall (Sept-Oct); mulberries in the early summer months and in June, will raid apricot orchards. The bears have been observed ripping off the lower bark of Blue pine trees to lick up the sugary sap that oozes out of it. There have been cases of the bears feeding on carrion and even killing goats and sheep (Pitman, 1924 and Stockley, 1936). They also hunt insects and small crustaceans and feed on certain kinds of fungus and mushrooms.

Breeding and Other Patterns/Habits

Mating occurs in October and the young are born in February, while the mother is still sheltering in her winter lair. Two cubs are usually produced per litter but one cub is not uncommon. The cubs are small and blind at birth and remain with their mothers through the summer months. Sometimes the cubs will stay with their mothers into their second year as adult females have been seen with two sets of cubs at a time.

These bears dig their own burrows under overhanging rocks, in natural cavities under tree roots, in crevices between rocks and in the hollow of a tree (if big enough). They are nocturnal animals and have a highly developed sense of smell. Their eyesight is believed to be poor and therefore they rely on scent to find food and sense approaching danger.

When fighting or attacking they swing their front paws with great speed and can inflict serious injury with their claws. Black bears are capable of swimming well and have been known to swim two to three miles across to islands.

Status

There has been a considerable decline in the number of Black Bears in their areas of residence. This is directly related to an increase in human population in these areas, as many of the bears are shot down to prevent them from invading croplands.

A survey carried out by the WWF (1993) recorded that there were around 1600 bears in captivity. By now that number has risen mainly due to the increasing economic importance of capturing bear cubs, which usually means shooting the mothers. These cubs are caught by dealers and sold to nomadic gypsies, known as ‘Qalanders’ for sums of about three thousand rupees. These men train the bears to dance and wrestle for public entertainment purposes. The same survey (1993) revealed that 115 cubs were captured every year.

2000 Red List Status:                                   Vulnerable

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: PLATANISTA MINOR (PLATANISTA INDI)
COMMON NAME: INDUS DOLPHIN, SUSU DOLPHIN OR BHULAN
ORDER: CETACEA
SUB-ORDER: ODONTOCETI
FAMILY: PLATANISTIDAE – RIVER DOLPHINS
GENUS: PLATANISTA

Physical Description

This animal is one of the world’s most specialized fresh-water dolphins. Due to its habitation of the Indus River’s murky waters, this unique creature has developed a number of distinctive and individual features. Most of these dolphins are pinkish or purplish-grey in colour, but some specimens have been found to have a darker grey colouration. Like other Cetaceans they have soft skin that is more silky in touch rather than slippery, as in the case of fish. The skin is delicate and easily susceptible to cuts. Since a light sensitive organ such as the eye is of no use to the dolphins, it is undeveloped. On the other hand they have highly developed sonar systems, with which they ‘feel’ their way around the dark waters. The caudal region is laterally compressed and therefore very slim. There is a difference in the length of the two sexes: the male’s beak is noticeably shorter than the female’s.

There are two rows of similar, conical teeth, occurring in both jaws. They are curved backwards and interlock when the mouth is closed. They are the longest (around 32mm long) in the front of the mouth but become progressively shorter as you move towards the back. Adults have thirty-four teeth and immature specimens have been found to have thirty to thirty-six teeth.

The Indus dolphin differs from other dolphins due to its broad shaped flippers and its rather long and narrow beak or rostrum. It has a high, rounded forehead that is slightly domed. This dome is due to a constriction just before the pectoral flippers, which is a feature usually absent in most marine dolphins. The dorsal fin is not very developed and appears to be no more than a triangular ridge on the dolphins’ back. It’s pectoral fins are spade-shaped and are set far back, which may be an ecological adaptation to its method of swimming on its side.

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

The Indus dolphin is confined to silt-laden flowing rivers. It avoids turbulent areas and has never been reported in the tidal waters of the Indus. This may be due to it being sensitive to salinity. Schools of different sizes have been recorded along the River at different locations but are concentrated around the Dolphin Reserve that is between the Guddu and Sukkur Barrages and between the Sukkur and Kotri Barrages (both recorded by the Sindh Wildlife Department). The dolphins are quite social and have been observed in groups of up to ten.

They use an echo-location system of high frequency clicking noises to feel their way around the river and catch their prey. These sonar ‘clicks’ are considered to come from the larynx, and not from the ‘melon’ (forehead bulge).

Their habitation of such waters as the Indus has made the task of studying the animals extremely difficult. The dolphins will travel into side channels of the main river to hunt food. The catfish known as the ‘Mulee’ is one of the most abundant species of fish in certain parts of the Indus and is therefore presumed to be a major part of the dolphins’ diet. They are also presumed to feed on fresh-water crayfish that is also plentiful in the Indus waters. The prey is seized in the dolphins’ beak, and is then swallowed headfirst.

Breeding Patterns

The courtship process has been observed between late April and May (Khan Mohd. and Mohd. Niazi, 1989), and it is thought that the gestation period is eleven to twelve months long. This presumption was made on the basis of two immature specimens being found in September and November (found by fisherman and T. J. Roberts respectively). These findings suggested that most dolphin births take place in the late summer months, when the snowmelts cause the river’s volume to increase. The same sources have also suggested that breeding may take place in alternate years. Two or three males are said to swim around one female during copulation, and the female will mate with one or two other males.

Status

The construction of irrigation barrages has altered the environment and has divided the dolphins’ population. Their movements have become restricted, as they are not able to pass through these irrigation headworks. The development of irrigation systems has reduced the amount of water that flows through the rivers during the winter months. All these factors have contributed to the decrease in the Indus Dolphin’s population over the last two to three decades. Now the dolphins face extinction.

Organizations such as the Indus Dolphin Project have been researching this mammal and have managed to contain the rapid extinction of this species. Strict protection measures have also aided in this effort. The most recent surveys conducted by the Sindh Wildlife Department have recorded 602 individuals in the Dolphin Reserve (between the Guddu and Sukkur barrages) and 18 between the Sukkur and Kotri barrages. This is an encouraging increase from the 150 dolphins that were counted in the Reserve in 1974.

2000 Red List Status:                                   Endangered           

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: EPTESICUS NASUTUS
COMMON NAME: SINDH BAT, SINDH SEROTINE OR PERSIAN SEROTINE
ORDER: CHIROPTERA
FAMILY: VESPERTILIONIDAE-VESPER BATS, NOCTULES, MOUSE EARED BATS ETC.
GENUS: EPTESICUS

Physical Description

The Sindh Bat is a relatively small bat, which is on average 45.5mm long (head and body together). It has a tail that is 43mm long, a hind foot length of about 8 mm, and an ear of 37mm long (all avg. measurements of four specimens measured by T. J. Roberts). Its fur is a distinctive pale sandy colour. However, the dorsal fur is pale greyish-yellow, long and silky and does not stand up from the body. This is one of the features that distinguishes this genus from the genus Pipistrelles who have dark brown dorsal fur.

The ears are black, virtually hairless and triangular in shape. The muzzles lack any glandular swellings behind the nostrils, which is a prominent feature in certain other bat species.

The wing and inter-femoral membranes are thin and pale brown in colour. The rather long tail is also enclosed in this same membrane. The E. Nasutus can be differentiated from the E. Bottae due to the presence of small warty projections on the wing membrane near the body, which have been found to be due to nematode cysts.

Habitat and Distribution

This bat is quite rare and locally distributed. Specimens have been collected in Southern Balochistan and northward in Sindh near Shikarpur, but no other sightings or collections have been recorded in Pakistan. It is well adapted to the climatic conditions of the desert and is therefore usually confined to warmer sub-tropical belts. There have been recordings of this species in Iran and Afghanistan as well.

Breeding and Other Patterns/Habits

Specimens that were collected in Afghanistan in mid-March and early April confirmed that the young are born during the summer months. Not much else is known about this extremely rare species.

The bats of this genus tend to form small groups while they roost. They usually hang upside down by their hind legs from the roofs of caves and buildings.   

2000 Red List Status:                                   Vulnerable

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: EQUUS HEMIONUS
COMMON NAME: INDIAN WILD ASS OR ONAGER
ORDER: PERISSODACTYLA
FAMILY: EQUIDAE – HORSES AND ASSES
GENUS: EQUUS

Physical Description

This is a reddish-tan animal, but the colour of its belly, buttocks, inner thighs and legs is a creamy white. A dark brown mane crowns a large head. It is larger in size and has shorter ears than the African Wild Ass but does not have the horizontal stripes or the blue grey fur tones that that species has. Its ears have stark dark brown tips and its tail has a long tuft of black hair at the end. Unlike other species, it has jet-black hooves surrounded by hair on the inside of the upper part of the fore legs.

The Indian Wild Ass stands at about 110-127cm at the shoulder, and measures from 2.06m to 2.11m from nose to rump. An adult male weighed 238kg (Dr. Salim Ali) and a female weighed 218kg (Crandall, 1964).

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

The few specimens that remain are found in the Great Rann of Kutch in the Tharparkar district of Sindh. Major S. A. Khan estimated that there were 20 individuals in that area in 1960. In 1940 there were small groups existing in south-western Balochistan but were assumed to be extinct by the 1960s (Dr. Ranjha of the Zoological Survey).

At the turn of the last century, large herds were said to extend through the Bahawalpur area, at which time there had been an incident of troops shooting 70 or 80 Wild Asses for food (according to the Late Amir of Bahawalpur). Their extermination from the area must have taken place very shortly afterwards. They are now confined mainly to south-eastern Iran and the Little Rann of Kutch in India.

Though they feed mainly on grasses, they have been known to raid cultivated areas of villages and often feed on shrubs.

Breeding and Other Patterns/Habits

Mating occurs between August and September (monsoon season). They are usually quiet and shy animals but males have violent fights over one female. They also emit shrieking brays when approaching females before mating. The gestation period is around eleven months, with foals being born between late July and mid-September. This is around the end of the monsoon season when there is maximum vegetative growth. There are no records of more than a single foal being born at one time. Foals are able to graze themselves at the age of one month and are weaned at the eighth or tenth month.

The main predatory force for this species is man, though wolves have attempted to carry off foals. They rely mainly on speed to escape predators and have been recorded running at speeds of 30-32 miles an hour without being fatigued. In sudden bursts of running they have been recorded to reach speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.

The South-African Horse sickness (virus) and ‘Surra’ (caused by a blood parasite) diseases are both fatal for this species, both of which are endemic of Sindh. Freshly killed specimens have often been infested by endo-parasites such as roundworms.

2000 Red List Status:                                   Unknown

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SCIENTIFIC NAME: MANIS CRASSICAUDATA
COMMON NAME: INDIAN PANGOLIN OR SCALY ANTEATER
ORDER: PHOLIDOTA
FAMILY: MANIDAE – SCALY ANTEATERS
GENUS: MANIS

Physical Description

These animals are rather unusual in appearance. They have tiny heads and humped backs. Their tails are almost as long as their bodies and taper out, being thick at the base and becoming thinner towards the tip. The tops of their heads, necks, trunks and the outside of their limbs are covered with overlapping, bluntly pointed, horny scales. The tail is armoured entirely by these scales. They are a dirty yellowish or an olive-khaki colour.

The muzzle tapers down to a narrow trunk like snout that curves downwards. It has a small mouth and a cylindrical, long and narrow tongue that is 23cm long when fully extended. The areas not covered by scales i.e. the lower part of the face, head, neck, belly, and insides of all four legs, are covered by light pinkish-white skin.

The Pangolin has stout hind legs, each with five blunt, pinkish white toenails, a feature that resembles that of an elephant. Rough spongy pads cover the soles of their hind feet, which are black in colour. The front two feet have five digits, the middle three ending in enormous claws. It walks on the knuckles of its fore feet.

Adult male specimens have been found to weigh from 25lb (Minton, 1981) to 38lb (Guy Roberts), while a female specimen weighed only 20lb (Finn. 1929). Babies weigh about 1lb at birth. The average length of a male is 66cm (head and body) while the tail is usually 56cm. Females measure about 60cm (head and body) and their tails are about 46cm long.

Habitat, Distribution and Feeding Patterns

The Pangolin is well adapted to desert regions and prefers barren and hilly districts. Specimens have been found in a variety of locations across Sindh (on the left bank of the Indus, hilly regions of the western part of Dadu and Larkana districts, in the Hub river valley and the Kirthar Range).

The Pangolin is a highly specialized and adapted feeder and is therefore beneficial to man. There are enormous economic losses, both in agricultural crops and buildings, all due to damage done by termites. Unlike its African cousin, who feeds on crustaceans, anthropoids and other insects, the Indian Pangolin feeds exclusively on ants, termites and their eggs.

They spend the day in their burrows and feed at night. They use their acute and well-developed sense of smell to locate nests of insects in the ground. They dig the earth out using their long clawed fore feet and upon locating an occupied nest begin to extend their tongues rapidly into the nest’s galleries. The tongue is lubricated with saliva and the insects get stuck to it.

Breeding and Other Patterns/Habits

Pangolins are highly unsociable creatures, except in mating season. Mating occurs during the fall and the gestation period is from 80 to 125 days long. The young are therefore born anytime from January to March to July. New-born Pangolins look more or less like their parents but are lighter in colour and have softer scales. A specimen that was three days old measured 31cm in length. The babies are weaned at the age of about 3 months and are fairly active at the age of one month. It is at this time that they have been observed climbing onto their mother’s tail to be carried around while she is out foraging.

The Pangolin has not been known to emit any sound as such but will make a hissing noise when either alarmed or afraid. When threatened it will tuck its head in towards its belly and will curl up its scaly tail so that all non-scaly and vulnerable parts are well protected. Despite their armour, they are still preyed upon by larger carnivores, such as hyenas and wolves.

They are efficient diggers and will excavate their own burrows. These burrows have been recorded to reach depths of 2.15m in arid and stony soil and 6.15m in soft soil. When in their burrows they will cover the entrance with loose soil, making it harder to locate from the outside. They can climb trees despite their rather clumsy looking hind legs, using their tail as an alternative support. They have also been seen standing up on their hind legs using their tails as a balance but only for a few moments.

Being clumsy and slow they are often victims of vehicles at night. In parts of Sindh they are killed for the medicinal qualities that they are said to posses. Their scales have also been known to have aphrodisiac qualities.

2000 Red List Status:                                   Low risk / near threatened