ANALYSIS OF THE SCATS OF SMALL INDIAN MONGOOSE (Herpestes auropunctatus) WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE INSECT FAUNA IN CROPLANDS OF FAISALABAD (PAKISTAN)

Common remains in 500 scats collected from various farms constituted volume of insects 22.6%, soil 17.7%, feathers 16.1%, plant material 14.9%, bones 10.8%, and hairs 7.0%. The frequency of occurrence of soil in the scats was 82.0%, plant material 81.0%, insects 67.0%, bones 52.0%, feathers 46.2% and that of hairs was 31.2%. Insects were consumed most intensively during all the four seasons of the year. Twelve insects namely, Odonats (dragonflies and damselflies), Orthopterous (grasshoppers & crickets) Dictyopterous (cockroaches and praying mantises), Isopterous (termites), Dermapterous (earwig), Homopterous (planthoppers), Hemipterous (bugs), Coleopterous (beetles) and Hymenopterous (ants, wasps and bees) were detected by their remnants.