Determinants of occupancy and burrow site selection by Indian crested porcupine in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India.

We examined factors responsible for spatial occupancy and burrow site selection for permanent occupancy by Indian crested porcupine in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. We employed occupancy framework to examine a priori hypotheses and to obtain detection histories of faecal droppings and burrow occurrence. The detection probability (0.19 ± 0.05SE) and occupancy (0.28 ± 0.05SE) of burrow sites were lower than those of faecal deposits (0.33 ± 0.029SE and 0.71 ± 0.06SE) respectively. The rodents avoided areas with water cover and selected those closer to the boundary of nearby agricultural fields at higher elevation as burrow sites. None of the considered covariates influenced their spatial occupancy. This study infers the strategic placement of burrows by these apex ecosystem engineers, also providing crucial ecological niche for various other co-occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]