Small carnivores in the Annapurna conservation area, Nepal

Abstract

The leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, large Indian civet Viverra zibetha and yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula are widely distributed through much of South and Southeast Asia, but their ecology remains poorly understood. We recorded these small carnivores during a camera trapping survey in the eastern mid-hills of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. This protected area is the largest in the country and represents Himalayan mountain ecosystems. Our study area comprised an elevation range of 1550 - 2950 m in upper subtropical to upper temperate bioclimatic zones. During a sample effort of 370 trap days, leopard cat was the most commonly recorded carnivore, followed by large Indian civet and yellow-throated marten. We obtained the highest altitudinal record of a large Indian civet in Nepal at an altitude of 2420 m. Capture rates for small carnivores were broadly similar across bioclimatic zones. The level of human activity was low in the temperate bioclimatic zone during the late winter season when the study was conducted.