Additional Site Record of an Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica indica) with Potential Habitat Connectivity in Northern Sahyadri Western Ghats and Discussion on New Sighting Records across Maharashtra from Various News Sources

Abstract

The Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica), a large arboreal rodent mammal endemic to India’s tropical forests, is experiencing population decline due to local hunting and habitat fragmentation and decline due to local hunting. During routine works in Biodiversity Park of Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli in the summer month May, a sighting of R. i. indica was recorded for the first time in Dapoli, Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, outside its previously known range. The squirrel was observed foraging and nesting in a biodiversity park surrounded by orchards and exotic plantations. Dapoli, located within the Northern Western Ghats, offers varied vegetation types and may serve as a corridor connecting known populations to new habitats. Study accumulates all the new sighting records from news reports to present the small-scale movement of species within the Maharashtra state. These records suggest a possible range expansion, potentially driven by habitat adaptability and the availability of food sources in orchards. The finding highlights the need for revisiting subspecies distribution and ensuring the conservation of emerging corridors vital for sustaining viable metapopulations of this iconic species.