Consider the following fauna: 1. Lion-tailed Macaque 2. Malabar Civet 3. Sambar Deer How many of the above are generally nocturnal or most active after sunset?

Answer: A. Only ONE of the three is generally nocturnal — the Malabar Civet. (1) Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus): DIURNAL. Active during daytime in the Western Ghats rainforests, foraging for fruits, seeds and small animals. Not nocturnal. (2) Malabar Civet (Viverra civettina): NOCTURNAL. One of the most critically endangered carnivores in the Western Ghats, civets are primarily active after sunset. (3) Sambar Deer (Rusa unicolor): Primarily CREPUSCULAR (active at dawn and dusk) but they also feed at night. They are NOT strictly nocturnal. Most field studies describe sambar as mainly twilight active and partially day-active. So strictly only the Malabar Civet is nocturnal. Hence A. Source: Wildlife Institute of India species accounts / BNHS field studies.