A Photographic Key for the Identification of Mammalian Hairs of Prey Species in Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) Habitats of Gilgit- Baltistan Province of Pakistan

The study of mammalian hair is important in cross-species comparisons in zoological disciplines. Obvious differences have been found in the widths of cortex and medulla at the mid shaft region of the guard hairs. Other important difference includes the hair scale patterns. In this study seven hair characteristics viz., i) average number of scales across mid-shaft region, ii) average scale diameter (µ), iii) diameter of hair at mid-shaft region (µ), iv) medulla diameter (µ), v) cuticular patterns, vi) medulla patterns and vii) pigmentation were used for the development of reference key. The key is based on the guard hair samples collected from the abdominal region of the five domestic mammals viz. cattle, yak, domestic sheep, goat, and zo/zomo (yak and cattle hybrid), and five wild mammals viz., ibex, markhor, musk deer, marmot and pika. This key may be used for the identification of hairs found in the scats of carnivorous species present in snow leopard habitat in Gilgit Baltistan province of Pakistan.