Survival strategy–Temporal segregation of different age and sex classes of a Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris Linnaeus) population in a Tropical Deciduous Forest of Central India

Temporal activity patterns of different age and sex classes of a Bengal tiger population were studied at Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh between May ۲۰۰۶ and July ۲۰۰۹ using systematic camera traps. Based on the exact time of photo-capture tigers, information on temporal activity patterns of following age and sex categories of individual tiger: such as Resident male (n= ۵۵ photographs), female with cubs or breeding female (n= ۷۰ photographs), female without cubs or non-breeding female (n= ۷۲ photographs) and transient male (n= ۴۲ photographs), were recorded. It was observed that breeding females significantly utilized different activity period with transient male (P< ۰.۰۰۱) and female without cubs (P< ۰.۰۰۱) whereas overall activity period between breeding female and resident male did not differ significantly (P> ۰.۶) during the study period. The observed temporal segregation may provide valuable information on cub survival strategies adopted by breeding tigress, finally, aiming at their reproductive success in a tropical deciduous forest. This paper will act as a catalyst, advancing the adoption of camera trap based reproductive behavioral study of any illusive large carnivore at in situ condition.

کلیدواژه ها:

Activity time scale ، behavior ecology ، Pench Tiger Reserve ، survival pattern