Genetic assessment of captive breeding program of Indian Pangolin: implications for conservation and management.

Background: Captive breeding programs play a vital role in conservation of threatened species, necessitating an understanding of genetic diversity among captive individuals to ensure long-term genetic viability, appropriate mate selection, and successful reintroduction to native habitats.

Methods And Results: We did not observe any recent genetic bottleneck, and population showed moderate genetic diversity. The estimated effective population size, representing individuals capable of contributing genetically to future generations, was estimated as 18.

Free-ranging dogs are seriously threatening Himalayan environment: delineating the high-risk areas for curbing free-ranging dog infestation in the Trans-Himalayan region.

It is becoming more widely recognised that free-ranging dogs, which have a nearly global distribution, threatening native wildlife. Their increasing population and spread to new areas is of growing concern for the long-term viability of wildlife species. Hence, it is imperative to understand the factors responsible for their infestation and map areas where native species are most vulnerable.

Landscape genetics identified conservation priority areas for blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in the Indian Trans-Himalayan Region.

The trans-Himalayan region of India, although have xeric features, still supports a unique assemblage of biodiversity, including some of the charismatic and endemic species. In the present study, we studied blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) across the distribution range in the Western trans Himalayas of India and found about 18,775 km area suitable for blue sheep. The explicit Bayesian based spatial and non-spatial population structure analysis assigned blue sheep into two genetic populations, i.

From poops to planning: A broad non-invasive genetic survey of large mammals from the Indian Himalayan Region.

Large forested landscapes often harbour significant amount of biodiversity and support mankind by rendering various livelihood opportunities and ecosystem services. Their periodic assessment for health and ecological integrity is essential for timely mitigation of any negative impact of human use due to over harvesting of natural resources or unsustainable developmental activities. In this context, monitoring of mega fauna may provide reasonable insights about the connectivity and quality of forested habitats.

Population genetic attributes of common leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) from Uttarkashi, Western Himalayas.

Background: The common leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), which persists in most of its historic range, is experiencing steady population decline due to habitat loss, anthrophonic disturbances, illegal poaching for their body parts, and retaliatory killings in response to the leopard-human conflicts.

Methods And Results: We analysed 143 scats samples and identified 32 unique leopards following a selected panel of seven loci with cumulative P sibs 5.30E-04.

Population genetics of Sambar (Rusa unicolor) from the Western Himalayas: preliminary findings.

Background: The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is one of the largest deer distributed across diverse habitats of India and threatened due to habitat loss, changes in the land-use patterns, illegal poaching, and anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we report the first population genetics account of sambar deer from the Western Himalayas.

Methods And Results: We observed relatively compromised genetic diversity (π = 0.

Genetic monitoring of Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral) from Western Himalayas, India.

Background: Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), solitary cliff-dwelling species and are distributed throughout the Indian Himalayan region. Its populations across the range are facing severe threats due to habitat loss, fragmentation and changes in the land-use patterns by various anthropogenic activities.

Methods And Results: We carried out genetic analyses of Himalayan goral using the mitochondrial control regions and microsatellite loci (n = 10) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

Molecular and morphometric divergence of four species of butterflies (Nymphalidae and Pieridae) from the Western Himalaya, India.

Morphometric and molecular divergence among four butterfly species of the families Nymphalidae and Pieridae from the western Himalaya region were investigated using molecular tools, traditional morphometric measures and a truss network system. The considered species were Danaus chrysippus, Vanessa cardui, Pieris brassicae and Pieris canidia. Traditional taxonomy is sometimes unable to discriminate cryptic species or species that have close morphological features.

Molecular data suggest population expansion and high level of gene flow in the Plain Tiger (; Nymphalidae: Danainae).

In the present study, we sequenced the individuals of the from the different altitudinal ranges in the western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India and compared with other global published data across its distribution range using the cytochrome oxidase c subunit-I (COI). Among the sequences generated in this study, we observed total six haplotypes with intra-species sequence divergence of 0.001-0.