Comparative activity pattern analysis of endemic chevrotains in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka's two endemic chevrotain species exhibit distinct activity patterns shaped by their habitats. The dry zone chevrotain (Moschiola meminna) shows cathemeral activity with peaks at dawn, midday, and dusk in Wilpattu National Park, likely to avoid heat while foraging and evading predators. In contrast, the wet zone chevrotain (Moschiola kathygre) in Sinharaja Forest Reserve is primarily nocturnal, possibly due to competition or sensitivity to disturbances in dense forests. The study used systematic camera trap surveys across >30% of each habitat, analyzing 1,000 bootstrap iterations with non-parametric von Mises kernel density estimators to quantify activity levels. Findings highlight the need for species-specific conservation strategies, emphasizing reduced human disturbance during nocturnal hours for M. kathygre and preservation of dry zone forests for M. meminna.

Tharinduni, W. A. L., Hippala, H. M. U. K., Gunathilaka, N. W. D. C. N., Jayasekara, E. G. D. P., & Mahaulpatha, W. A. D. (2025). Comparative activity pattern analysis of endemic chevrotains in Sri Lanka. Book of Abstracts: International Research Conference of the Open University of Sri Lanka, 197–201. https://doi.org/10.65646/3rc20dmt3a0197