A o ('". . ,- \ .t. .. ,..; \ \ (Par 1) (.-.-...,.-1 II I r\·~ I \ I / I -'-- ( (. '\, , ,I .. r-...' I \ \ I / '-, .,J \ \ " ,, ...II I I « . } . / ~. ( ., L· State Fauna Series 7 FAUNA OF TRIPURA (PART-I) VERTEBRATES Edited by The Director Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata Zoological Survey of India Kolkata CITATION Editor-Director, 2002. State Fauna Series 7, Fauna of Tripura (Part 1), (Vertebrates), 1-365 pp. (Published-Director, ZSI, Kolkata) Published: January, 2002 lSBN : 81-85874-45-X Project Co-ordinator Dr. J. R. B. Alfred (Director, Zoological Survey of India) © Government of India, 1998 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical. photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. • This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade, be lent, re-sold hired out or otherwise disposed of without the publisher's consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published. • The correct price of this publication is the price printed on this page. Any revised price indicated by a rubber stamp or by a sticker or by any other means is incofT8ct and should be unacceptable. PRICE Indian Rs. 1,000 Foreign $ 70 ; £ SO Published at the Publication Division by the Director, Zoological Survey of India, 234/4, AJe Bose Road, 2nd MSO Building, (13th Floor), Nizam Palace, Kolkata-700 020 after laser typesetting by Calcutta Repro Graphics, 36/8B, Sahitya Parishad Street, Kolkata-700 006 and printed at Shiva Offset, Dehradul1. STATE FAUNA SERIES FAUNA OF TRIPURA VERTEBRATES PART-l 2002 Pages 1-365 CONTENTS 1. An Overview 1-29 V. T. Darlong and J.R.B Alfred 2. Mammalia 31-46 T. P. Bhattachanja and M. K. Ghosh 3. Aves 47-158 N. Majumdar, C. S. Ray & B. K. Datta 4. Reptilia 159-177 D. P. Saynal, B. Dattagupta and N. C. Gayan 5. Amphibia 179-190 A. K. Sarkar, S. Das and S. Ray 6. Pisces: Freshwater fishes 191-320 ~. P. Barman 7. Wetland faunal Resources of India K. Venkatranlan, S. R. Das, R. A. Khan and J.R.B. Alfred Zaol. Surv. India State Fauna Series 7 : Fauna of Tripura, Part 1 1-29, 2002 TIlE STATE FAUNA OF TRIPURA : AN OVERVIEW v. T. DARLONG AND J. R. B. ALFRED* Ministry of Envirolunent & Forests. North-East Regional Office. Shillollg-793 003 1. INTRODUCTION of three cities' There are still others who believe that the name is a combine fonn of two tribal 1.1. Location and area words, "tui' and "pra" which mean °a land adjoing water' Yet others well-versed in the Tripura, the smallest of the "seven sisters of Sanskrit learning of yore have identified it with a the north-east", is situated between 22°51 '-24 °32' name Tripura that occurs in ancient Sanskrit texts. Nand 90° 10 ' -92°21' E. It has an international The search into the genesis of the name thus boundary of 8.39 km with Bangladesh towards its continues and the arguments over the origin of west, south and north. In the east, the state shares the nomenclature "Tripura" remain inconclusive a common boundary with Mizoram and Assam even today. for 109 km and 53 km respectively. Whatever may be the historical fact. the history The state has a geograph:cal area of 10,491 sq. km It accounts for 0.32% of the total land of Tripura and its kingdom wa~ a very ancient one. It has been ruled by the Maharajas of Tripura area of India and occupies the 22nd position in for an unbroken period of thirteen" hundred years. terms of the area among the States and Union The history of Tripura can be understood fronl Territories of India. The maximum length and the Rajrnala or Chronicles of the kings of Tipperah breadth of the state measures 183,50 knl and and the writing of Mohammedan historians since 112.70 km, respectively. About 70% of the state 1407 AD. is hilly. The NH 44 passes through the state. Its capital, Agartala is situated on the bank of the It is believed that the kingdom of Tipperah river Haora af 23°50'40" Nand 9] °22'55" E with was founded by King Druhya. son of Yajati. one an altitude of 12.8 m. of the kings of the lunar (Chandra) race. King Tripura, the 46th descendant of Chandra dynasty 1.2. History was believed to be a contemporary of King Judhistir (of Mahabharat fame). The British political parlance of Tripura was Tipperah or Hill Tipperah. The story of the origin The Mohammedan attack on Tipperah started of the name "Tripura" is shrouded in myth and fr01n 1279 AD but for about three centuries their legend. The name of the state is believed to have attacks were bravely repulsed by the successive been coined in honour of the King Tripura, who rulers of Tripura. About 1620. during the reign of was the 46th descendant of Chandra dynasty, an Emperor Jahangir. the Mughal force attack~d emperor considered to be contemporary of Raja Tipperah and its Raja was taken prisoner to ludhistir of the Mahabharata age. Some scholars Delhi. During the reign of Maharclja Dharnla ascribe the name to be in honour of the goddess Manikya. the Nawab of Murshidabad conquered Tripureswari or Tripura Sundari of Radha a large portion of plain Tipperah but thereafter kishorepur (Udaipur), Others treat Tripura as a the hill Tipperah relnained Inore or less under tht' derivative form of "Tri Puram" meaning 'a land peaceful possession of the Raja. * Zoological Sur"ey of Illdia, M-B/ock, Nell' Alipore, Ko/kala-700 053 2 State Fauna Series 7 : Fau1la o( Tripllrll WEST TRiPURA .@ : AMBASSA (I ................... I DHALAI ~ KHUMULAWNG ••••• \ : IJ·· : (HQ.1TA ADC) •• ~ /.......... "'1 .. .. . ® '" , ! \ UDAIPUR •••• \ \ .... ," .. .... SOUTH TRIPURA ,.' TRIPURA DISTRICT BOUNDARY WITH HEAD QUARTERS DARLONG and ALFRED. : The State Fauna of Tripura : An Overview 3 During the British rule, the Rajas of Tipperah hilly. Physiographically, the area represents the successively governed the State as semi western fringe of the typical 'ridge and va))ey' independent princes, although since 1808, from structural province of the late Tertiary fold the reign of Durga Manikya, successive Raja has mountain belt, commonly known as the Indo received investiture from the British Government. Burman Ranges or Purbachal Range. The general Prominent Rajas of Tipperah during the British altitude of the State varies from 780 m in the period were Birchandra Manikya, Radha Kishore northeastern part to 15 m or even less in the Manikya (1897-1909), Birendra Kishore Manikya western part above mean sea level. The (1909-1923), and Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya physiography of the entire state can be divided (1923-1947). After the death of Bir Bikram into three distinct physiographic zones : Kishore Manikya on 17th May 1947. Her Zone-/ : Hi)) Ranges Highness Maharani Kanchan Prova formed a Regency Council in order to carry out the This zone includes six major hi)) ranges administrative function of the State. On 15th running parallel with north-south orientation, each October] 949, Tripura merged with the Union of separated by a narrow valleys of about 20 km India. The State attained full statehood on 21 st wide. January 1972 under the North-Eastern Regions Zone-II : Highland and plateau Re-Organisation Act, 1971. This zone forms the western limits of the hilly 1,3. Administrative divisions region. The plateau gradually rises from west to east with an elevation ranging from 3-37 m and Until 1872, the general administration of the finally merging with the eastern hilly tracts. This state was conducted from Agartala, the capital zone is dissected by valleys, streams and gullies and residence of the Maharaja. In ] 872, the and is severely eroded. north-eastern sub-division of Kailashahar was created and two years later in 1874, the south Zone-III: Alluvial Valleys western sub-division of Udaipur was created. On It is the zone with an average height of 7 m 15th October 1949, when the state merged with above mean sea level in the valleys. But in the Union of India, the administrative units of the several areas such alluvial valleys are interspersed state were termed divisions and tehsils upto 1952. by hillocks or low hills called 'tilas' with an From 1953 onwards, the entire state of Tripura elevation of 30-60 m and swamps or marshy was treated as one district territory. Until ] 970, areas locally called 'loongas'l'lungas' Tripura was still a district territory with ten sub divisions. On 1s t September 1970, the Union However, the Inost striking topographical Territory of Tripura was divided into three feature of State area its six principal hill ranges. districts, viz. North, West and South. Today, the These are the Jampui, Sakhantlang, Longtarai. entire state is divided into four districts, viz. Atharamura, Baramura and Deotamura. North Tripura, Dhalai, West Tripura and South The Jampui range is the highest range in Tripura. In addition, with the creation of Tripura Tripura. It runs 74 km over north to south Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, about alignment. Betlinag sip (975.36m) lying to the two-third of the state, mainly encompassing tribal extreme south is the highest peak of this range. compact areas, is under the Council, without of course effecting any change in its district or sub The Sakhantlang range lying to the west of divisional boundaries. Jampui range is lower in altitude than the fornler. It runs about 78 km in north-south directions. The 2. TOPOGRAPHY range is bisected by the Deo river near Kunlarghat True to its name (Hill Tipperah in British into the Unokoti range towards the north and the parlance), about 70% of the land in Tripura is Sakhantlang towards the south. The Unokoti range 4 State Fauna Se ries 7 : Fauna of Tripura TRIPURA PHYSIOGRAPHY 0, 10 20 30 40Kms I MIZORAM INDEX Below 150 Metres 150 - 900 Metres DARLONG and ALFRED: The State Fauna of Tripura : An Overview 5 is about 20 km in length, built up of coastal The Alluvial Terrain on the other hand can teritary deposits of sand and low in elevation. The further be divisible into three groups based on the famous holy shrine of Unokot neal' Kailashahar is characteristic relief, slope, degree of dissection, located in this range. On the other hand, the soi I character, landform assemblage and nature of Sakhantlang range from near Kumarghat runs alluvial fill. These are (i) the table lands or "tilla" towards the south for 58 km before it merges lands and rolling mounds characterised by with Chittagong hiB ranges. In this range the maximum dissection, drainage and weathering, highest peak is the Sakhan (816.25 m). (ii) the low lands or 'tunga' lands characterised by comparatively stabilised, undissected, higher To the West of Sakhantlang range is the flood plains and (iii) the recent flood plains Longtarai range. It is about 48 km in length. constituting the present day flood-prone belts Phengpur (482 m) is the highest peak in this fringing the rivers and streams. range. The local tribals (the Reangs) generally believe that the Longtarai devta (god) lives in this 3. SEISMOTECTONICS hill range. = = Tripura is located within the seismically The Atharamura (athra eighteen; mura active zone; the state experiences Inild to hills) lying to the west of the Longtarai is lower" moderately severe seismic shock very often. The in altitude than the former with 106 km, this is Surma Basin in the Tripura-Mizoram area lies in the longest hill range of Tripura. The highest between the seismically active Shilong Plateau to elevation of this range is Niungmamura (482 m). the north and Arakan Yorna to the east. It is Other ilnportant peaks of this range area recorded that although the epicentres of very few Atharamura (436 m). larimura (457 m) and . earthquake recorded during the recent past fall in Tulamura (244 m). This hill range forms the this area, the state has however been affected by demarcating boundary between KamaJpur and some of the famous earthquakes like the Great Khowai sub-divisions. Assam (1897), Srinlangal (1918), Dhubri (1930), To the west of Atharamura is the Baramura Assam (1975) earthquakes etc. In fact. the (bara = big ; mura = hilJs) hill range. It is only epicentres of the devasting Srimangal earthquake 47 km in length. The notable peaks of this hill of ) 9] 8 lies very close to the northern border of range are Saisunmura (248 m), Baramura (175 Tripura. m) and Champamura (154 m). This hill range is rich in natural gas. This hin range runs over a 4. GEOLOGY common boundary between Khowai and Sadar The geological setting of Tripura is considered Sub-division. to be fairly young in origin. As mentioned earlier. = .T he Deotamura (deota or devta god ; mura the geomorphology of the state is characterised = hill) is about 85 km in length. Its highest peak by a succession of hill ranges and valleys of is the Deotatnura (247 m). This hilJ range runs meridional and sub-meridional trends. The hill over the boundary between Udaipur and Amarpur ranges are box like anticlines with relatively sub-division. compact and resistant older rock units exposed in There are other geomorphologists who tend to the narrow crests, whereas the valleys are flat describe the above landform of Tripura int(l two synclines with younger and softer rock units fundamental domains, viz. Neogene fold ridges exposed in the wide troughs. The folded belts and alluvial terrain. The major six hill ranges constitutes the frontal sub-belt of the Assanl with north-south anticlinal ridges of nearly Arakan geosynclinal basin being separ~ted on the rounded a flat-topped Baramura to comparatively east by the inner mobile sub-belt or Mizormll more rugged Atharatnura having several spurs consisting of tight linear folds. Toward its west constitute the Neogene Fold Ridges. lies the fore deep of Bengal Basin covered State Fauna Series 7 . Pauna of Tripura 6 TRIPURA GEOLOGICAL MAP ASSAM O'-t ___J. o... ...:.._-..::JlP Knw INDEX .v........ .,.. " UPPER DUI'ITILA TIPAM )\~~ - SANDSTONE -..... .... BOKABIL . .-. .. . SUBCROUP - BHUBAN SUBGROUP to •• -.- ANTICLINA.L _ CREST ...... SYNCLINAL TROUCH -.- FAULT GAS SHOW ~ Source: ONGe