RITU*, VIKAS SIKERWAL, RATISH CHANDRA MISHRA AND AJAY KUMAR
Department of Zoology, Om Sterling Global University, Hisar-125 001 (Haryana), India
*(e-mail: rituhandball005@gmail.com; Mobile : 98960 70717)
(Received : November 3, 2022; Accepted : December 8, 2022)
ABSTRACT
Point count, scan sampling and direct contact methods were used to observe the food and feeding habits of Rhesus Monkey in Bir Bara Ban Conservation Reserve Forest in district Jind of Haryana (India). Rhesus macaques were found to feed on 22 species of trees, namely, Acasia nilotica, Acasia leucopholia, Albizza lebbek, Bauhinia variegata, Butea monosperma, Parkinsonia aculeata, Prosopis cineraria, Prosopus juliflora, Dalbergia sissoo, Eukalyptus hybrid, Ficus bengalensis, Ficus glomerata, Ficus religiosa, Morus alba, Ficus rumphi, Ziziphus mauritinia, Syzygium cumini, Tamarise cumini, Crataeva nurvala, Salvador apersica, Azadirachata indica and Cordea dichtoma in the study area. There were also found to feed on 9 species of herbs, shrubs and grasses, namely, Ziziphus nummularia, Capparis separia, Brassica compestris, Oryza sativa, Triticum aestivumv, Saccharum officinarum, Trifolium alexandrium, Cheanopodium album and Cynodon dactylon in the study area. Rhesus macaques preferred plant species/parts as food items in maximum amount in the form of pod/fruit (27%) and inflorences (24%) followed by seed (18%), gum (15%), leaf (7%), bark (7%) and least amount of stem (2%). Similarly, rhesus macaques preferred from herbs/shrubs as food items in maximum amount of leaf (32%) followed by pod/fruit (18%), seed (18%), stem (18%) and least amount of inflorences (14%).
Key words : Food items, herbs, rhesus monkey, shrubs, tree