~ 192 ~ International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies 2017; 4(4): 192-195 ISSN 2347-2677 IJFBS 2017; 4(4): 192-195 Received: 18-05-2017 Accepted: 19-06-2017 Krishnendu Basak Nova Nature Welfare Society, H. No. 36/337, Choti Masjid, Byron Bazar, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Moiz Ahmed Nova Nature Welfare Society, H. NO. 36/337, Choti Masjid, Byron Bazar, Raipur Chhattisgarh, India M Suraj Nova Nature Welfare Society, H. NO. 36/337, Choti Masjid, Byron Bazar, Raipur Chhattisgarh, India Chiranjivi Sinha Nova Nature Welfare Society, H. NO. 36/337, Choti Masjid, Byron Bazar, Raipur Chhattisgarh, India B Vivekananda Reddy Office of the Deputy Director Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, Gariyaband, Chhattisgarh, India OP Yadav Office of Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) & Field Director, Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, Raipur Gaurav Path, Raja Taalab, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India Krishnendu Mondal Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata West Bengal, India Correspondence Krishnendu Basak Nova Nature Welfare Society, H. NO. 36/337, Choti Masjid, Byron Bazar, Raipur Chhattisgarh, India Confirming presence of Indian mouse deer from Chhattisgarh, Central India with photographic evidence after 112 years Krishnendu Basak, Moiz Ahmed, M Suraj, Chiranjivi Sinha, B Vivekananda Reddy, OP Yadav and Krishnendu Mondal Abstract The present study documented Indian mouse deer from Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve after 112 years of the first photograph taken by Brooks in 1905 from Raipur district of recent Chhattisgarh. A camera trapping exercise was conducted in the Tiger Reserve from December 2016 to April 2017 covering 588 km 2 area. In total, 13 photo-capture of Indian mouse deer were obtained from the present study and the elevational range of photo-capture locations were between 539 m and 892 m above sea level. The present study confirmed presence of Indian mouse deer in a dry tropical peninsular sal forest and southern tropical dry deciduous mixed forest in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, Chhattisgarh. The existing population of Indian mouse deer is probably facing severe threat as the local tribesmen are known to hunt deer species for consumption in this area. More research interventions are needed to know the status of this species in Udanti Sitanadi landscape which will contribute in better conservation of the species in the long run. Keywords: Moschiola indica, smallest ruminant, camera trapping, central India Introduction Indian mouse deer Moschiola indica is the smallest of all the ungulates species found in India. This species belonged to an ancient group of primitive ruminants, with history dating back to the Miocene [5, 3, 17] . There are two extant genera, Moschiola and Tragulus, which occur in the South and Southeast Asian region [3] . In a recent taxonomic revision of the Genus Moschiola based on skulls (Moschiola sp., Artiodactyla) from Sri Lanka and India, Groves and Meijaard (2005) [1] found consistent differences within this taxon and they divided this taxon into three species: Moschiola indica from southern India, M. meminna from the Dry Zone in Sri Lanka, and M. kathygre n. sp. from Sri Lanka’s Wet Zone. Their research suggested that there is a probability of fourth new species from Sri Lanka’s Hill Zone. The Indian Mouse Deer Moschiola indica is the smallest ruminant; body length 50-58 cm; Shoulder height 25-30 cm, Tail length is 3 cm and body weight is about 3 kg [16] . Body coat is reddish brown with lighter spots and stripes on the body. The Indian mouse deer is found in tropical moist deciduous and evergreen forests of peninsular India. Its distribution is still uncertain due to poor sighting records. Presence is recorded from Bihar, Jharkhand, Odhisa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Gujarat [12, 19, 20, 10, 21] . In the Northern part of Indian Subcontinent, presence of India mouse deer is confirmed from Nepal [12, 14, 7, 8, 18] and Terai regions. In most of the areas Indian mouse deer is anecdotally recorded though recent widespread use of camera traps, which documented photographic evidences of their presence from different zones from South and Central India [20, 10, 21] . Indian mouse deer is listed in schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and declared as Least Concerned species by IUCN (2017). It is already a highlighted species in Indian wildlife research due to its mystic presence across the distribution ranges in India and Nepal. However, a very few studies have been done on the species; the only population estimation study of Indian mouse deer is available from Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala by Kumbhar et al. 2013 [10] and on resource utilization and distribution of Indian mouse deer by Ramesh et al 2012 [20] in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Study by Kumar et al, 2013 [21] in Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh and an observation of Nandini R., 2005 [15] in Annamalai hills, Tamil Nadu contributed on species occurrence in the respective areas.