Scatrina Pooping Outdoor -

Research was conducted in three protected forest fragments within the Western Ghats, India (Table 1). All sites share a monsoonal climate (mean annual precipitation ≈ 2200 mm) and a mixed evergreen–deciduous canopy.

| Site | Area (ha) | Dominant canopy species | Elevation (m) | |------|-----------|--------------------------|----------------| | K1 | 30 | Shorea robusta | 650 | | K2 | 45 | Dipterocarpus alatus | 720 | | K3 | 60 | Terminalia tomentosa | 690 | Scatrina Pooping Outdoor

The observed concentration of feces on sapling undersides suggests a deliberate behaviour rather than random deposition. By excreting while perched, Scatrina may reduce exposure to ground‑dwelling predators and parasites (Kumar & Singh, 2019). Moreover, positioning feces near the plant base could facilitate rapid incorporation of nutrients into the leaf‑litter layer, indirectly benefiting the beetles’ fungal food sources. Research was conducted in three protected forest fragments

Across all sites, Scatrina pooping peaked during the first two hours after sunset (20:00–22:00 h), accounting for 68 % of recorded defecation events (Fig. 1). A secondary, minor peak occurred between 02:00–03:00 h (12 %). No significant differences in timing were observed among the three fragments (KDE overlap = 0.94). By excreting while perched, Scatrina may reduce exposure

Immediately after pellet collection, leaf‑litter samples (10 g) from the same quadrat were placed in Berlese funnels for 48 h to extract micro‑fauna. Extracted organisms were identified to order level under a stereomicroscope. Abundance data were standardised per gram of litter.