OTHER MAMMALS

Common Name: House Shrew / Musk Shrew / Ground shrew

Order: Insectivora         Family: SORICIDAE
Scientific Name: Suncus murinus
Bangla Name: Chika / Suchey

An obnoxious animal with musky odour, found around dwelling houses. Greyish white, short, soft furred, rat-like animal with a prolonged, rather pointed snout extending much beyond the lower lip. It has tiny rounded eyes and prominent ears, feet and tail having scattered hairs. There is a pair of front teeth on the upper jaw, curved and having prominent basal cusp, the same is found on the lower jaw, which is long, projected forward horizontally and the tips being slightly curved upward. Head and body is 15 cm, tail 7.5 cm.

The house shrew is one of the commonest of the insectivores and of the Bangladesh mammalian fauna as a whole. It is found all over Bangladesh in great abundance, especially so homesteads and townships. It is nocturnal and insectivorous.

Common Name: Common Shrew / Malay Tree Shrew

Order: Scandentia         Family: TUPAIIDAE
Scientific Name: Tupaia glis assamensis
Bangla Name: Gecho Suchey

A squirrel like mammal with a shrew like snout, having rounded ears, body, limbs and tail. The soles are bare, toe flexible, and has slightly curved sharp claws and a feet well adapted for climbing. It is grizzled brown to reddish brown in colour with buffy throat and underparts. Head and body 20 cm, tail longer than the body, which ranges from 18 to 23 cm.

First reported from Bangladesh in 1979, then in 1980 (Khan 1979, 1980a). Common in the evergreen, semi-evergreen forests of Chittagong and Chittagong Hill Tracts, not uncommon in the Madhupur national park of Mymensingh Forest Division (FD) especially near the Jalchatra Mission, just at the periphery of the park. It is rather rare in Sylhet FD. Absent in the coppice sal forests of Dhaka, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts. It is also does not occur in the mangrove forest of the Sundarbans and coastal areas. It does not occur beyond 20°40' to 25°15' N and West of 90° E.

Common Name: Hog-Badger

Family: MUSTELIDAE
Scientific Name: Arctonyx collaris collaris
Bangla Name: Shukarakar Baeger

An unmistakable pig-like animal with a piggy snout, long tail, short ear, squat bear-like body, short legs and long powerful claws of a badger, though it is neither a bear, hog nor a true badger. It has a greyish body with a little tinge of brown and has prominent black and white markings and patches. The throat and head is pale or whitish, a dark cheek stripe runs from the long muzzle up to the head. The limbs are slaty, the long claws whitish, and a long tail grey. True badgers have completely black throat and no cheek stripe. Snout to rump it is 75 cm, tail with hairs 25 cm.

Mitra (1957) reported it from the Chittagong region. Dr. Reza and two of his research students have collected two specimens from Teknaf peninsula, Cox's Bazar FD. It is rather rare and occurs in the hill forests of our eastern side bordering Burma and India.

Common Name: Indian Elephant

Order: Proboscidea         Family: ELEPHANTIDAE
Scientific Name: Elephas maximus indicus
Bangla Name: Hati / Hosti / Gaza / Ganesh / Oiravat

The largest and heaviest animal of Banladesh, besides the few specimens of Blue Whale that are occasionally found on our shore. Elephants need no introduction but some readers may be interested to know about some of the peculiarities of this gigantic, massive animal. The entire body is greyish black, with some flesh coloured markings on the ears, forehead and chest. The prolonged nose and upperlip forms a pendant proboscis or trunk which ends in the pointed tip or 'lip'. The lip is possibly the most sensitive part of an alephant's body, having the capacity to pick up a 25 paisa coin from the dust.

Height at the shoulder of a grown-up male is about three metres, female 2.5 m this height is always equivalent to double the measurement of the circumference of fore-foot. The ears are large but smaller than the African counterpart. An adult male weighs about 4 tons, female 2.5 tons. Only males have prolonged, rather upturned 2nd pair of Incisors of the upper jaw that developed into tusks. Males without these incisors are called 'makhna' or tuskless, some male with only one tusk are known as 'ganesh' or single tusker, femalse are usually tuskless. African elephants have tusks like the males, having tusk like incisors hardly projecting beyond the sides of the trunk. A tusk may grow up to about 3 m weighing 15 kg or so, unusually long and heavy tusks may even weigh 60 kg each. It has no canine teeth, a pair of molar tooth on either jaw is very heavy, each tooth having up to 27 ridges across the crown (African elephants never possess more than 11 ridges). The soft padded circular sole and palm each has 4 and 5 nails respectively. Usually marks of three central nails are visible on the footprint because the peripheral ones are small and rather wrinkled. Tail-tip is laterally flattened, with a bunch of very tough hair.

The elephant had a wide distribution in the country, East of 90°E. About a century back it was not uncommon in the Madhupur tracts of the sal forest and in the forests of the Sylhet district, now its no more present in these two areas, although an occasional herd may stray in to the territory from the neighbouring Indian States of Meghalaya, Tripura and Assam. We have resident elephants in the Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Hill Tracts North and South FDs. Less than a hundred elephants occur in the Teknaf peninsula, between Cox's Bazar and Teknaf township, including a migratory herd of about 30 elephants, which make to-and-fro journeys from the neighbouring Arakan Hills of Burma to Teknaf hills of Bangladesh. Dr. Reza and two of his research students made some preliminary observations on the elephants and they presumed that the total elephant population of the country may not exceed 300 animals. We are left with elephants which have small tusks. This reflects the hunting and poaching pressure on our population.

Common Name: Wild boar / Pig

Order: Artiodactyla         Family: SUIDAE
Scientific Name: Sus scrofa cristatus
Bangla Name: Shukar / Bonnya Barah

A black hefty animal with very rough sparse hairs. The tail hairs are short and arranged on either side of it like barbs of a feather, the longest hairs are along the vertebral column, short, pointed ears, the snout prolonged with a terminal crescent-shaped muscular disc-comparable to no other mammal of Bangladesh. The male's upper incisors are upturned, outwardly projected like the proboscis but very small, incisors of lower jaw may reach upto 27 cm in length. Head and body 150 cm, tail 30 cm, shoulder height 90 cm, weight 13.5 kg.

The wild boar is still well-represented in all the forested areas, although beyond the forest it occurs nowhere. As per the old District Gazetteer, about a century back it was unbelievably common around the suburbs of Dhaka city when whitehunters used to hunt boars with spears from horse back. Its very common in the Sundarbans, Chittagong Hill Tracts and, Cox's Bazar FDs. Some still occur in the sal forests of Jamalpur-Mymensingh districts along the northern border. It is a menace for the agricultural crops near the forested belt.

Common Name: Gaur / Indian Bison

Family: BOVIDAE
Scientific Name: Bos gaurus gaurus
Bangla Name: Ban Goru / Gaur

The only species of true wild bovid of Bangladesh. Both the sexes have horns, adult bull jet black - young and cow brownish, reddish yellow or coffee colour. Both have white 'socks' from the knee up to the hooves. Horns are smooth, with a broad flattish base leading to a pointedly tapering tip, crescent-shaped, tips curving towards one another in a slight backwardly direction, with black tips and the remaining portion yellowish, the horns are permanent. It has a massive shoulder ridge, the area of the head between the bases of the horns is vertically elevated and the forehead is downwardly directed. Head and body is 3 m, shoulder height 188 cm, tail extends beyond the knee, weight 800 kg, horn spread 85 cm. The females much lighter with shorter horns.

Once the distribution of gaur ranged from the sal forests of Jamalpur and to the tip of Teknaf penisula. Possibly there is no resident population of it now left in Bangladesh, as the last specimens of a herd were shot by soldiers during the 1971 liberation struggle. Stray gaurs come down to the sal forest and villages of the northern belt of Jamalpur and Mymensingh bordering India's Tura Hills of Meghalaya State, where they are killed and eaten by the villagers with much festivities. Dr. Reza have collected one skull with horns from the Durgapur PS of Mymensingh which was eaten in early 1980. Occasionally it may venture in to Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong and Hill Tracts from the neighbouring areas of India and Burma.

Common Name: Mainland Serow

Scientific Name: Capricornis sumatraensis jamrachi
Bangla Name: Bon Chagol

The only goat-antelope of Bangladesh. Both sexes have horns of equal length which are dark brown to reddish brown back with dirty white underparts. The coat is rough with sparse hairs, has an usually big head, long ears and a thick neck give it a comical appearance. Head and body 120 cm long, tail with hairs 15 cm, shoulder height 90 cm, horns 23 cm and weighs 80 kg.

Athough feared extinct by earlier workers, serow is still present in Bangladesh, in fewer numbers in the unclassified state forest of Sylhet, Chittagong, Hill Tracts North and South and Cox's Bazar FDs. A few stray ones visit Bangladesh forest near Jhenaigati PS of Jamalpur and Durgapur PS of Mymensingh from the forest of Meghalaya State of India. About eight specimens have been trapped or killed and eaten by the villagers at Jhenaigati, Durgapur, Comilla and Hill Tracts between 1978 and 1982. One each of these died in captivity at the animal corner of Madhupur National park, Bangladesh Agricultural University at Mymensingh, Pablakhali wildlife sanctuary of Hill Tracts and in Dhaka Zoo. A serow calf is known to have been hand-reared by a villager at Durgapur PS. Altogether two adult specimens were presented to the two consecutive Presidents of Bangladesh during the above period.

Common Name: Indian Pangolin / Scaly Anteater

Order: Pholidota         Family: MANIDAE
Scientific Name: Manis crassicaudata
Bangla Name: Ban Rui / Pipilikabhook

It is a burrowing animal of rather funny appearance, being covered with tough overlapping scales. The whole of back, sides, outersides of the limbs and tail shielded by these scales, which have origin similar to the hairs. Between the scales there are stiff hairs. The snout and the entire ventral side are devoid of scales but covered with sparsely distributed hairs. Unlike hairs the scales are voluntarily erectile. The scale covered tail is prehensile. While sleeping and in case of self defence the soft, muscular snout is rolled against the bare abdomen and the whole animal remains curled like a ball. Head is small, narrow and prolonged, tongue is very long, protrusible and glutinous. Palm and sole are narrow and long having 5 clawed digits. The claws are slightly curved and long, the forelimb perfected for digging. Termite and ants are chief food procured with the help of the tongue. It has no teeth. It has yellowish body with flesh-coloured bare parts. Head and body 70 cm, tail 45 cm, 11-13 rows of scales round the body.

The species is widely distributed over the country excluding the coastal parts of Khulna, Barisal, Patuakhali, Noakhali and Chittagong districts. It has possibly disappeared from Kushtia, Jessore, Pabna, Bogra, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi and most parts of Dhaka and Comilla. The species is currently found in small numbers in the sal, evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Unfortunately whole skins with the scales are often found with traditional medicine man, both in the villages and towns.

Common Name: Indian Crested Porcupine

Family: HYSTRICIDAE
Scientific Name: Hystrix indica indica
Bangla Name: Shojaru

The largest and the heaviest of the rodents, the Porcupine is unmistakbable for its very well-developed, sharp and long retractile quills over the body. Overall it is blackish yellow. The quills form a crest on the dorsal side from the forehead to mid-back. Quills on the underside of the tail are hollow. The longest quills are upto 30 cm long. The tip of some crown quills are whitish, others may have occasional white areas. Head and body 75 cm, and weighs 15 kg.

The porcupine was once common all over the country. It has dissapeared from most parts of the country and is now restricted to the bamboo brakes of the countryside and forested belts, including the Sundarbans. It is a menace for the recently raised oil palm gardens of the forest department in the Cox's Bazar FD. All tribals and low-caste Hindu relish its meat, quills have a good market value too.

Common Name: Rufous-tailed Hare

Scientific Name: Lepus nigricoliis ruficaudata
Bangla Name: Shashak / Khargosh

Hares are long-legged animals, with hind limbs longer than the forelimbs, eyes large, ears long, tail short. This hare has a greyish yellow to rufous brown coat occasionally washed with patches of black which is more prevalent on the head and mid-dorsal line, limbs and breast greyish, the remaining underparts, face, neck and underside of tail whitish, a rufous patch on the dorsal side of the tail and absence of black patch on the neck are characteristic. Forefoot has 5 digits, hindfoot 4, the soles are well-haired, claws long, compressed. Head and body 50 cm, stumpy tail with hairs 10 cm, ears 13 cm in length, 7 cm in width. Males are usually longer than the females. The young are born with eyes open.

The hares were distributed over the entire country. Even three decades back most village had fallow land or pasture land and were covered with dense bushes and thickets, which gave shelter to the hares. Although rare it is still found in most parts of the country, and is common in the forested areas of Bangladesh.