The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the black soft shell turtle as Extinct in the Wild (EW) which means wild population of the species are no more present in the world though they could be present in captivity. It comes as a huge surprise therefore when this freshwater turtle was discovered recently […]
Primate Fossil Discovered From Jammu & Kashmir, Shows A Lemur Like Primate Once Lived Here
A fossil of a new primate species discovered in Kashmir has been found to be a distant relative of the lemurs and might help change the known evolutionary history of primates of India and the world. Fossil hunters have found the jawbone fossil of a new primate species from Kashmir that lived 11 to 14 […]
Frogs Have The Unique Ability To See Colours In Extreme Darkness
The night vision of frogs and toads appears to be superior to that of all other animals. They have the ability to see colour even when it is so dark that humans are not able to see anything at all. This has been shown in a new study by researchers from Lund University in Sweden. […]
New Wasp Species Discovered In Western Ghats
Scientists have discovered a new species of wasp in the forests of the Western Ghats. It was identified by a team of scientists consisting of P Girish Kumar and P M Sureshan of the Western Ghats Regional Centre(WGRC) of the Zoological Survey of India(ZSI) and and James M. Carpenter of the American Museum of Natural […]
A Kingfisher Turns Into A Frog In The Western Ghats: New Discovery
C R Naik, is a local forest official at the Karaavali area of Karnataka. Sometime back, during one of his routine monitoring of biodiversity near his coastal village, the forester came across a sound that distinctly sounded familiar. It was the sound of a Kingfisher calling. What was peculiar though that the sound was not […]
New Damselfly Species Discovered In India
In the shola forests of Kerala, up in the mountains of Annamalai hills, scientists have discovered a new species. It is a damselfly and owing to it’s love for the mountain habitats it has been named – Protosticta monticola, monticola meaning ‘mountain dweller’. The discovery was made by Dr KG Emiliyamma and Dr Jafer Palot […]
Good News From Gujarat: Rare Forest Owlets Thriving In The State
The abundant verdure of South Gujarat has led to favourable conditions for wildlife to thrive in the region, bringing joy to enthusiasts. The biggest news has been the sighting of more than 80 forest owlets in Dang, Gujarat. Forest owlets are one of the rarest birds of India and marked Critically Endangered. You can learn […]
Spider Discovered In Western Ghats Gets Name Inspired From Harry Potter Books
What do you call a spider that looks eerily similar to the sorting hat of the Harry Potter books? You officially name it Eriovixia gryffindori ! A new spider species discovered by Mumbai researchers in the Central Western Ghats of Karnataka has been named after the fictitious character Godric Gryffindor in the J K Rowling […]
Rare Blue Flower Blooms In Nilgiri Hills
Every 12 years, the Nilgiri (literally meaning blue mountain) hills of southern India turn blue as the flowers that give the range its name are in full bloom. Kurinji or Neelkurinji is a shrub that is found in the shola or montane forests of Western Ghats and blossom once in every 12 years. Some sub […]
A New Pika Species Discovered In Sikkim
It was the study of the pellets of the animal that led to the discovery of a new species of Pika from India. Named Ochotona sikimaria or Sikkim Pika, this is the 8th species of Pika to be found in India. Pikas are close cousins of rabbits and hares. They are mouse like in appearance, […]
New Lizard Species Discovered In Mumbai
A new ground dwelling lizard was discovered in Mumbai by researchers from Villanova University , USA National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, and Bombay Natural History Society. The new species has been named Cyrtodactylus Varadgirii in honor of Bangalore based scientist Varad Giri. The lizard was found in Goregaon’s Aarey Colony and Thane’s Badlapur forested […]