Food habits of Chital (Axis axis axis) in Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Central India
Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, Sanjay Telang, Saheel Ahmad Bhat and Muzaffar Ahmad Wani
Govt. Benazir Science and Commerce College, Bhopal, M.P. (India)
ABSTRACT
Between June 2010 and June 2011, the food habits of chital (Axis axis axis) were studied in Van Vihar National park, Bhopal. Chital in total fed on 98 plant species. Contribution of various plant types (grasses, herbs, fallen leaves, flowers and fruits) to the diet of chital varied from season to season. Among all the plant types, grasses had the highest preference and among all the plant species, Tridax procumbens had the highest preference with preference rating of 21.4.