Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Summer 2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Primate Behavior
Committee Chair
Lori Sheeran
Second Committee Member
April Binder
Third Committee Member
Kara Gabriel
Abstract
Malabar slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus malabaricus) is a small-bodied, nocturnal strepsirrhine endemic to the Western Ghats region of India. Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Goa hosts a population of slender lorises. Research on slender loris distribution and habitat suitability is lacking. Predictive species distribution models allow us to identify habitat suitability for slender lorises. Using 16 occurrence records of slender loris observations, I constructed a MaxEnt species distribution model using 21 bioclimatic, topographic, and habitat variables. I used the jackknife method for model validation. The model identified isothermality as the climatic variable affecting the distribution of slender lorises, and deciduous forest as the most suitable habitat type. Additionally, my observations of lorises occurring near villages indicates their likely tolerance of human-modified landscapes. These observational data were also likely to be affected by survey bias. Results of this study are useful in determining habitat suitability of slender lorises and assist in conservation of the species.
Recommended Citation
Adhikary, Animesh, "Distribution Patterns and Habitat Suitability of Malabar Slender Lorises (Loris lydekkerianus malabaricus) in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, India" (2025). All Master's Theses. 2179.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/2179