IDENTIFICATION AND STUDY OF DORSAL GUARD HAIRS OF THE SPECIES BELONGING TO FAMILY-HYSTRICIDAE (Rodentia: Mammalia)
PARAMITA SAHA SARKAR *
Department of Zoology, Vivekananda College for Women, Barisha, Kolkata - 8, West Bengal, India.
J. K. DE
Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Primary dorsal guard hairs are the most important in hair identification as they exhibit the most specific diagnostic features of the animal. Though large number of tricho-taxonomic studies was carried out by many workers around the world, but meager information on the hairs of the species belonging to the family-Hystricidae is available. From the tricho-taxonomic studies of the hairs and quills of the species under Hystricidae, an identifying key has been prepared on the basis of combination of characters. This study may be helpful to identify the animals from the small parts of skin and quills seized by the enforcement agencies engaged for implementation of wildlife (P) Act, 1972.
Keywords: Tricho-taxonomy, hair, hystricidae, key, enforcement agencies