Nepal’s BP Highway threatens endemic, critically endangered lizard, Dark sitana

by News

The dark sitana, a lizard endemic to a town in Nepal, is critically endangered by the loss and degradation of its habitat due to the BP Highway and unplanned urban development.

The critically endangered dark sitana (Sitana fusca), a rare lizard that hasn’t been reported anywhere else in the world, faces a host of challenges for its survival, most of them triggered by the highway development. “The main threat to its existence is the loss of its habitat, which has been fragmented and degraded by the construction of the BP Highway,” says researcher Santosh Bhattarai, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in herpetology.

The news has been featured in the following link on Mongabay.

Nepal’s BP Highway threatens endemic, critically endangered lizard

Himalayan Frogs Conservation Initiative in Nepal

by Up coming Project

The frogs of Nepal’s Himalayan region are under significant pressure from climate change, habitat loss and because they are hunted and eaten by local people.  In addition, the historical focus of conservation efforts in Nepal has been on large iconic mammalian species such as tiger, rhinoceros and elephant.  A clear conservation focus is required for Nepal’s frogs, particularly in the mountain areas, where the effects of climate change are most extreme.   This clear focus is prevented by a lack of understanding of the kinds of frogs present in the area, their relationships to one another and their relationships to groups outside of Nepal. It is likely that there are several species of frogs present in this region which have not yet been recognized.  Without knowing which species are present, or how they are related to other groups, it is difficult to establish meaningful conservation approaches for species.

The overarching goals of this project to understand and establish knowledge gaps on Himalayan frog species of Nepal. This project will use integrative approaches such genetics, morphomtrics and bio-acoustics to identify different species, to establish a clear understanding of the relationships among a particular group of frogs present across Nepal’s Himalayan region.  We will also explore hunting pressures on frog species.  

Re-print of Dark sitana poster

by News

We printed 1000 copies of Dark sitana poster for conservation outreach in schools and communities in Dark sitana range sites. During our school and community sessions, we taught conservation importance of Dark sitana and other reptiles of the region. We also distributed a copy of the poster to the session attendees. We also circulated our photographs of our outreach sessions in social media. We received overwhelming responses for poster and session requests within Dark sitana range and beyond Dark sitana range where other species of sitana are found. Due to high demand of poster and session requests in schools and communities, we are printing again 1000 copies of the same poster.

Dark sitana poster contestants awarded

by News

Dark sitana “conservation poster” contest was announced at our social media platform herpsNEPAL. A total 22 contestants designed and submitted the poster. The idea of the photo contest was to make members of herpsNEPAL aware about Dark sitana and get better poster design insights. Among all the contestants, two winners (Ms Shreeya Manandhar and Sanej Prsad Suwal) were selected as the best poster designers. The best poster designers were awarded with Dark sitana conservation T-shirt. Ms Shreeya Manandhar is a postgraduate student of Kathmandu University and Mr. Sanej Prasad Suwal is affiliated to NCSC- an NGO based in Kathmandu.

Bishal Neupane,- NCRC-fellow handing over the T-shirt to one of the winners Ms. Shreeya Manandhar.

Ecological assessment of endemic skink species in central Nepal

by Up coming Project

The Himalayan region is a biodiversity hotspot with a unique biogeography that has influenced the diversification of many taxa. Three endemic skinks (family: Scincidae) were discovered in central Nepal: Mahabharat skink (Ablepharus mahabharatus), Nepal skink (Ablepharus nepalensis) and large ground skink (Scincella capitanea). Information on their distribution, population abundance, habitat use and resource partitioning with sympatric species is lacking.

Reptiles are susceptible to environmental and anthropogenic changes and have limited dispersal capabilities. They are particularly sensitive to habitat modifications and climate change, both of which are occurring rapidly in the Himalayan and hilly regions of Nepal. No dedicated study on Nepalese endemic skinks has occurred. This project will fill a knowledge gap by conducting ecological assessments to provide details on current distribution, habitat use and micro habitat selection, population abundance and threats impacting the survival of these endemic skinks to inform conservation strategies.

Supported by: Nagao Natural Environment Foundation

https://www.nagaofoundation.or.jp/e/

World wildlife day 2023 marked for Dark sitana (Sitana fusca) conservation in Nepal

by News

Every year world wildlife day is celebrated on 03 March to commemorate the conservation efforts. Nepal Conservation and Research Center (NCRC) and Mithila Wildlife Trust (MWT) jointly marked the day in Madhesh province, Nepal with two different activities for Dark sitana (Sitana fusca) conservation aligning the theme of world wildlife day “Partnership for conservation” among women group and school students.

The Dark sitana (Sitana fusca) is a critically endangered lizard endemic to Nepal, so far only known from Madhesh province of Nepal. Therefore, to raise awareness on ecological and conservation importance of Drak sitana, we conducted an awareness session for peri-forest women group of Dudhpani community forest, Dhanusha. We also explored the local names and beliefs to respect the indigenous perceptions towards reptiles. We presented slides and video session whether they are aware of the presence of Dark sitana in their community forest or not. We distributed a copy of printed poster of Dark sitana to the participants of the session.

Session with students

We also marked world wildlife day with students at Mahadev Adharbhoot school to imprint conservation importance of Dark sitana and other wildlife in young minds. We found students were very keen and inquisitive to learn about biodiversity around them. We displayed the video of Dark sitana and other wildlife and presented about their behaviour, ecological significance and how students could be the part of the larger conservation arena.

World Wildlife Day celebration at Mahadev school

Conservation and Ecology of Critically Endangered Dark Sitana (Sitana fusca) in Nepal

by Up coming Project

Nepal is home to three species of sitana lizards, namely Shuklaphanta sitana (Sitana schleichi), Sivalik sitana (Sitana sivalensis) and the Dark sitana (Sitana fusca) belonging to family Agamidae. Among these three species, the Dark sitana is an endemic lizard listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In Nepal, Dark sitana is known only from Madhesh Province; and the type specimen was found in Bardibas, in Madhesh Province. The Bardibas area is growing rapidly as a transit point, connecting Madhesh province to Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. The ongoing expansion and urban development of the Bardibas area is a major conservation challenge for the species. Moreover, ecological information (such as abundance, distribution, and threats) and the natural history of this lizard are poorly understood. Very few conservation organizations are working in the area and even fewer are aware of the existence of the species and its critical conservation status.

This project will generate ecological data including distribution, abundance, habitat characteristics and identification of key threats. This information will set a baseline for long term monitoring and inform the development of a conservation strategy. In addition, a conservation outreach component of the project will raise the profile of this species among key stakeholders and local communities, improving conservation outcomes for Dark sitana. Key outputs will include occurrence maps showing conservation sensitive zones and site-specific conservation measures. Conservation outreach activities will raise awareness of and develop support for Dark sitana conservation. This will drive behaviour change to reduce activities which impact Dark sitana, including the use of intentional fire in Dark sitana habitat.

Supported by : The Rufford Foundation, UK

The potential distribution of yellow monitor, Varanus flavescens (Hardwick & Gray) under multiple climate, land cover and dispersal scenarios

by Scientific_Papers

Authors: Suraj Baral, Amar Kunwar, Dipendra Adhikari, Kanti Kandel, Dev Narayan Mandal, Arjun Thapa, Dinesh Neupane and Tej Bahadur Thapa

Abstract: Context. Human-induced changes in climate and land cover have altered the distribution of fauna around the globe. Some reptiles have been found to be vulnerable to these changes; therefore, studies to identify the impact of the changes on other groups of reptiles are necessary. Aims. We aimed to study the impact of climate and land cover change on the yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens) in Nepal. We also aimed to identify the current distribution range and predict the potential distribution under multiple climate change, corresponding land cover change, and dispersion scenarios in the near-and mid-future. Methods. We used available presence locations with a candidate set of the least-correlated environmental variables and an Ensemble of Small Models (ESM), a Species Distribution Model (SDM) approach suitable for species with small sample size. Additionally, dispersal scenarios of 1 km, 5 km, and 10 km were added to the model to determine the future distribution under the dispersal scenarios. Key results. We found soil particle size, distance to forest, precipitation of wettest quarter, bulk density, and elevation were the five most important variables contributing to the distribution of the species. The Terai lowland and wide valleys in Outer Himalayas are currently suitable but are expected to experience a substantial decrease under most future climate projections and dispersal scenarios. Conclusions. The distribution is mostly dependent on soil-related variables; however, climatic variables might have a greater impact on future suitability. Implications. Limiting emissions contributing to climatic changes, conserving the soil outside the protected areas, and the potential areas where the species will not experience habitat loss might contribute to the conservation of the species.

Paper link:

Ecology and Conservation of Common Leopard (Panthera Pardus)

by Up coming Project

Need for Human-Leopard Co-existence in and around Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal.

Project highlight

Principal investigator: Saurav Lamichhane

Location: Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

Grant support: The Rufford Foundation

Team members: Tank Rawal, Kabita Das

Nepal’s mid-hill ecosystem includes a top predator, the leopard, and a significant source of human-wildlife conflict. To put successful conflict management strategies into practice, it is crucial to have every aspect of information about conflict species. This project is a continuation of previous Rufford work. Understanding the social, as well as ecological dimension of human-wildlife conflict is important for effective conflict management strategies. In the first Rufford grant, our study was entailed mainly to understand the social dimension of HLC along with conservation awareness activities in local community. In this project, our major focus will be identifying the ecological correlates such as occupancy and diet composition of conflict species.

The following objectives guide the project:

  1. Information on common leopard occupancy and associated covariates will be obtained.
  2. The diet composition of the common leopard will be understood, thereby the livestock contribution in the diet as well.
  3. Knowledge of local herders on leopard conservation and HLC mitigation measures will be improved.
  4. School children will be made aware on leopard conservation and conflict mitigation measures.
  5. Findings of the project will be disseminated to the conservation authorities with far-reaching implications for the conservation of common leopards in the area.

The project’s findings are anticipated to contribute to more efficient efforts in reducing HLC and fostering coexistence between humans and leopards. Moreover, the conservation awareness program to the local herders and school children and knowledge gap addressed by this project will be crucial for better human-leopard co-existence in the area. To sum up, this research project will be crucial for the conservation of common leopards in the area. The data obtained will be crucial for conservation authorities to effectively plan conflict management strategies, and in particular to increase the knowledge and awareness among the local herders on leopard conservation while minimizing the conflict.

Project link :