DOI: 10.17632/t9sv8yrfs3
title: Population Dynamics and Activity Budget of Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797) in relation to Tree Species Diversity in Educational Hub, Central Gujarat, India

description: The present research was aimed to study population dynamics and activity budget of Semnopithecus entellus (Dufresne, 1797) (commonly known as Gray or Sacred or Hanuman Langur) in relation to tree species diversity of an Educational Hub (Vallabh Vidyanagar), Central Gujarat, India (January to April 2019). In total, 540 individuals (females: 174, juveniles: 201, males: 139, unidentified: 26) recorded in different zones such as educational (321), commercial (97), industrial (85), residential (37), and various substrates like tree (170), wall (137), roof (132), ground (59), gate (30), terrace (9), car (2), road (1). 72 Langurs observed on tree species e.g. Samanea saman, Azadirachta indica (39), Ziziphus jujuba (16), Polyalthia longifolia (15), Gmelina arborea (14), Ficus microcarpa (6), Alstonia scholaris (4), Mangifera indica (3), Tamarindus indica (1). 147 Langurs observed on vegetative trees, 18 (flowering), 5 (dry), 0 (fruiting). 370 Langurs reported on non-tree substrates (juveniles: 139, females: 120, males: 97, unidentified: 14), followed by trees (170) (juveniles: 62, females: 54, males: 42, unidentified: 12). Males (41) and females (50) dominated walls, and juveniles (49) on roof. 292 individuals of Langurs documented between 9 to 12 hrs, 193 between 12.01 to 15 hrs, 35 between 15.01 to 18 hrs and 20 after 18 hrs (juveniles: 201, females: 174, males: 139, unidentified: 26). 186 Langurs engaged in perching, 98 (feeding), sleeping (75), playing (70), grooming (60), roaming (45), drinking (4), licking and suckling (1 each). Roaming was prominent in commercial (35), perching in educational (129) and industrial (28), and feeding in residential (19) zones. Feeding was notable on trees (87), gates (12) and grounds (25) for playing, gates (12) and grounds (22) for perching, roof for grooming (44), and terrace (6) and walls (82) for perching. Feeding (27), playing (6), perching (17) and sleeping (22) were prominent on Samanea saman, grooming (2) on Polyalthia longifolia, and roaming (4) on Azadirachta indica. Between 9 to 18 hrs, 180 Langurs were found Perching, and 11 feeding after 18 hrs. Middle canopy of trees harbored 68 Langurs, followed by lower (52) and top (50) canopies. 97 Langurs observed in outer canopy, and 73 in inner canopy. Langurs avoided lower top canopy of Alstonia scholaris, top canopies of Mangifera indica and Polyalthia longifolia, and lower middle canopy of Tamarindus indica. Langurs did now exhibit any preference for inner canopies of Alstonia scholaris and Tamarindus indica. No any Langur was recorded in lower canopy between 15.01 to 18 hrs. Correlation Coefficient Matrix (r) revealed the strong positive correlation between females & juveniles, males & ground, females & juveniles on roof, females & juveniles with GBH, males & juveniles with outer canopy, and females with inner canopy of tree species. Studies on ecological modeling and habitat-specificity of Langurs are warranted for conservation and management of species.