Abstract

A survey of small mammals (weighing less than 5 kg) was conducted in the sacred groves of Kerala from 2005 to 2009. About 300 sacred groves are documented. The animals found in the sacred grove were of two types, namely the group of organisms like snakes, frogs, lizards, lower and higher group of fauna which nested there and those which visited the grove temporarily for food and shelter. The floristic composition was highly influenced due to the anthropogenic pressures, cattle grazing, edaphic and climatic factors. The biodiversity of these areas is quite distinct from that of the surroundings. Survey and socio-cultural aspects of sacred groves was studied and threats to the sacred groves documented. The role of small mammals in the sacred grove ecosystem was analyzed. Protection was comparatively higher in religiously protected scared groves.

Sixty species of small mammals were documented, of which 75 % were bats and rodents. Numbers of small mammals documented were 3 species of Insectivore, 27 species of Chiroptera, one species of Primates, one species of Pholidata, 14 species of Rodentia, 4 species of Carnivore, one species of Lagomorpha and one species of Artiodactyla. Fragmentation of sacred groves, urbanization, disappearance of old belief system, waste disposal, alteration of habitat, removal of biomass, fragmentation of sacred groves due to partition of joint families and formation of nuclear families, felling of old trees and thereby destruction of roosting sites of small mammals were main threats. Sacred groves which were religiously protected and bigger in size gave more protection to mammals. Prevention of further fragmentation, giving economic remuneration and award for protection of groves, declaring sacred groves as community forestry center with assistance from Government agencies will prevent further fragmentation and protect biodiversity rich sacred groves from extinction