The Dung beetles of Nagarhole

They are classified as the strongest insects in the world. They can lift 1,141 times their own body weight. This is equivalent to a normal man pulling six double decker buses, each of them full of people.

They are a modern group as their fossils date back to 30 million years ago and as of now there are more than 7000 species worldwide.

They range in size from less than a millimeter to six centimetres or a little more. And they occur rather extensively in all the continents except Antartica.

They are the Dung beetles and India has hundreds of such species. Nagarhole in  Karnataka alone had nearly a hundred of these Dung beetles.

The Dung beetles found include Catharsius granulatus, Copris indicus, Oniticellus cinctus,  Onitis singhalensis, Onthophagus beesoni, Onthophagus ensifer, Onthophagus ranam, Onthophagus sp.107, Onthophagus tarandus, Picnopanaleus rotundus, Caccobius diminutives, Caccobius ultor, Copris furciceps, Copris sp,  Heliocopris dominus, Pseudonthophagus sp, Sisyphus neglectus, Caccobius inermis, Caccobius meridionalis., Caccobius torticornis, Caccobius sp, Copris sodalist, Onthophagus socialis, Onthophagus sp.301, Onitis phelemon, Onthophagus furcillifer, Caccobius gallinus, Onthophagus rufulgens, Onthophagus sp, Copris repertus, Pseudonthophagus sp.1, Copris davisoni, Onitis falcatus, Onthophagus turbatus, Copris imitans, Onthophagus quadridentatus, Caccobius vulcanus, Liatongus affinis, Oniticellus spinipes, Sisyphus longipus, Onthophagus dama and many others.

The Dung beetles live anywhere from three to five years. A researcher has found that a small 1.5 kilograms pile of Elephant dung on the African Savannah attracted 16 000 Dung beetles, who between them had eaten and or buried that dung completely in just two hours.

Research has also shown that one dung beetle can bury 250 times its own weight in a night. Most of the Dung beetles prefer herbivore dung, though many are not very particular and will use many different forms of dung,

Some species have a definite preference for one type of dung only.

Onthophagus caenobita has only ever been found feeding in human faeces. Similarly, the Zonocopris gibbicolis of South America feeds on the faeces of large snails on whom it rides around.

The female dung beetle lays a single egg into each ball of dung and then covers the nest with more dung and soil. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the fecal matter.

Dung beetles can be divided into three groups: Rollers, Tunnellers and Dwellers. Rollers make a burrow some way away from the dung they are going to use and then collect small to medium sized lumps of dung to roll into their burrows. Typhaeus typhoeus, the Minotaur Beetle, can dig burrows up to a metre deep. Generally the female does most of the digging and the male spends most of his time foraging for dung and collecting it for her.

Rollers dig their front legs into the ground and use their hind legs to push the ball of dung. Tunnellers fly until they find some fecal matter into which they straightaway dive. They then dig a tunnel and then drag as much dung as they like down into it. Again it is mostly the female who stays in the burrow sorting out the dung and the male goes out to get it.

Some dung beetles eat and lay their eggs on dung some other beetle has collected. This thief beetle often eats the legitimate dung-owners eggs apart from taking away or stealing their dung.

The females of many of the larger ‘Rollers’ stay inside their burrows and care for and protect their eggs and young. They can live for up to three years. Some of these larger dung beetles can move balls of dung (on the ground ofcourse) up to 50 times their own weight.

Not many know that Australia imported 45 species of dung beetle from various parts of the world to get rid of cattle dung.

In ancient Egypt the dung beetle was called Scarab and it was an important religious symbol. In some Indian tribes from South America, a dung beetle named Aksak is supposed to have modelled the first man and woman from clay.

Are dung beetles important to evolution. What is likely to happen if they are not there in the world. Without dung beetles, the Earth would be piled high with manure and dung.

The dung beetles  feed on dung and they spend quiet a time in a day eating faeces. They are, therefore, called as Dung beetles.

Since they spend their days eating faeces, their dungrolling led the ancient Egyptians to believe they were responsible for keeping the sun moving.

More than a hundred species of  dung beetles can be found in the Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park, which is ranked among the richest biodiversity spots in the country.

The  Heliocopris Dominus is the biggest dung beetle in the country and it was generally found in the north-eastern region. This species too is found in Nagarhole.

Watching the dung beetle is as fascinating as it can be. Want to check it. Then head for Nagarhole. You are sure to come across them wherever you find dung. And Nagarhole is home to one of the largest elephant herds in India. You can easily spot the Heliocopris dominus which breeds only in elephant dung and Onthophagus pactolus, a very rare species of dung beetle. Of course, you can easily spot Onthophagus dama, the most common dung beetle.    

This species of Bat is found only here

This Bat is  considered to be among the fifteen most critically endangered Bat species in the world and so far it has been found only in India.

Even in India, this Bat has been found in only one location and that is in Karnataka. This free-tailed bat is on the list of most endangered  species in the world.

It was thought to be endemic to a single cave system in India until its recent discovery in Cambodia and a cave in Meghalaya in north east India. However, only one Bat was discovered in Cambodia and there is need for further study to validate these claims.

But so far, the only major colony is in Karnataka and unfortunately, not much is known about them. Though careful monitoring is needed, these bats are extremely vulnerable to habitat destruction and roost disturbance.

The Bats are found in fairly large numbers in a cave called Barapede. The cave is part of the famed Bhimgadh Forest Reserve in Belgaum district of Karnataka State.

The Barapede cave has always been known for Bats and it is only in the last few decades that zoologists have stumbled upon the rare species called Wroughton's free-tailed bat- Otomops wroughtoni.

This Bat was thought to have been extinct until its discovery in the Barapede caves. The caves are near Talewadi, 30 kms from Belgaum City.

A few such Bats were discovered at Phrang Karuh Cave near Nongtrai village in Shella confederacy of  Meghalaya. However, this needs further investigation as is the find of a lone Bat in Cambodia in Chhep District, Preah Vihear Province.

Coming back to the Barapede Cave, the Bat colony has  approximately 70 or more individuals. Female bats  have been recorded carrying one foetus or young. Generally, the population of the Bats at the cave seems to fluctuate between 40 and 100 as reported by different workers.

The cave is supposed to offer an ideal habitat for these Bats. It is  located on a plateau above a moist deciduous forested valley at 800 metres with high humidity inside.

These Bats were found to live in small groups of  two to fifteen individuals in crevices throughout the cave.

Zoologists have reported that the habitat close to the Barapede cave is threatened from submergence due to a proposed dam and from ongoing mining activities (Molur et al. 2002). Another threat is from the spread of alien plants species Prosopis sp. at the cave mouth is a visible hindrance to bat activities (M.S. Pradhan pers. comm. February 2003). Unlike other bats, which eat both insects and fruits, these bats eat only the insects. These Bats are difficult to photograph as they are not only very small in size but they stay inside small crevices in dark caves.

Another Bat species- Theobald's tomb bats -Taphozus theobaldi-can also be found here. Though this species is widespread, it is  relatively uncommon. It inhabits forested areas and roosts mainly in caves. Large roosts numbering thousands of bats can be found in India, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.

Theobald-tomb bats can be found in the Bhimgad caves, about six kilometres from Barapedi cave. It is found in two other locations in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. This also is on the endangered list. The false vampire bat- Megaderma spasma -is classified as rare and it can be found here.

The Bhimgadh Forests are part of the Western Ghats and the  Barapede Caves are located between Krishnapur and Talewadi.

The Wildlife Sanctuary is near Jamboti village of Khanapur taluk and it was declared a wildlife sanctuary on December 2011.

The Bhimgad forests are home to several pother species of wildlife 

Like tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Dholes or wild dogs, foxes, King Cobras, Cobras, snakes, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Chitals and elephants. It also has an impressive list of mammals, birds and reptiles.

The area takes its name from the Bhimgadh Fort which was built  by Shivaji. The fort is in a romantic setting and it is in the midst of thick forests. A trekker’s delight, it rises 1800 feet  vertically above the plains.

The fort occupies the summit of an extraordinary rock, with sides about 300 ft (91 m) in perpendicular height. The defenses were almost entirely natural, requiring little additional construction. The ruins of the 380-ft high and 825-ft broad Bhimgad fort are located right in the heart of the Mahadayi forest, and is of great historical significance.

Shivaji built the fort to keep an Eye on the Portuguese.

The sanctuary is contiguous to the east of Mahadevi sanctuary , Mollem National Park and Netravathi Wildlife Sanctuary.

The western border areas of Bhimgadh Sanctuary encompasses several geo-morphological lime stone formations with scores of caves. Several rivers, including the Mahadei, Malaprabha and Tillari along with smaller streams originate here.

The Mahadei originates in the Bhimgad forests with a cluster of 30 springs forming the river Mahadayi, which is joined by two other streams Marcidha Nala and Pannera Nala. The waters flow down in the valley and over the 150 ft (46 m) Vajrapoha Falls. It then continues towards Goa where it is known as Mandovi.