India is home to approximately 50,000 plant species in the world. Around 6 percent of world species of flowering plants are found in the country. It is one of the 17 mega-diversity regions of the world, and eleventh in respect to the number of endemic vascular plant species. Around 28 percent of flora in India […]
World’s Largest Cavefish Discovered in India
In the caves of Meghalaya, scientists have discovered the largest known cavefish in the world. The fish looks very similar to the Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora), a surface-dwelling endangered fish. The newly discovered subterranean species is five times the average length of a cave-dwelling fish. There are approximately 250 species of subterranean or troglobitic fish […]
Endangered Star Tortoises Rescued and Released with Satellite Tags
In a first, conservation organization Wildlife SOS and Karnataka Forest Department have rescued over 50 Endangered Star Tortoises from smugglers and released them back in their natural habitat after fitting satellite tags on the animals to track their survival. This is the first time that a satellite telemetry study of Indian Star tortoises rescued from […]
Mass Nesting of Olive Ridley Turtles Begins in Odisha
The mass nesting of olive ridley turtles has begun at Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district. The phenomenon known as Arribada (Spanish for mass nesting) began on 14 March 2020. Already 15,000 turtles have come ashore to lay eggs and more will arrive soon. According to Bikash Ranjan Dash, the Divisional Forest Officer of […]
Sea Turtles are Attracted to Stinky Plastic
Sea turtles around the world are threatened by marine plastic debris, mostly through ingestion and entanglement. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology have new evidence to explain why all that plastic is so dangerous for the turtles: they mistake the scent of stinky plastic for food. “We found that loggerhead sea turtles respond to […]
Rare Rusty-spotted Cat Seen in Uttar Pradesh Reserve After a Decade
The last time, the rusty-spotted cat was seen in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve was in 2011. It was recently spotted again by Director of the reserve, H Rajmohan on a usual patrolling in the park after nearly a decade. “I rediscovered the elusive cat last week during a usual patrolling in the Mala range. This was […]
There are Two Distinct Red Panda Species, Reveals New Research
Scientists have discovered for the first time that there are two distinct species of the red panda, not just one. A team of researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that two varieties of the red panda which are native to the Himalayas and southwestern China, actually comprise two different species. Red pandas […]
River Ganga turning Lifeless in Parts finds Study
Researchers from Banaras Hindu University and Mahatma Gandhi Kashividyapith University in Varanasi have found that the underwater portion of River Ganga has got fragmented into areas where no aquatic life exists – a condition named hypoxia. Pollution of River Ganga with untreated sewage containing toxic metals has reduced the level of dissolved oxygen, especially near […]
How eco-friendly are you? One research says you might be overestimating yourself
How eco-friendly are you? One research says you might be overestimating yourself We are all familiar with environmental jargon like reduce-reuse-recycle or stop using plastic. Many of us also take these motivations seriously and act upon them. But research by the University of Gothenburg with participants from India, Sweden, England, and the United States found […]
How to Save a Fish that Looks and Acts Like a Snake
More often than not all fish in our minds look like a version of the fish we drew in our school colouring books – cute beady eyes, fins, and a tail. The problem with this version is that if there is in the real world, a fish that does not fit the description, and does […]
Your Paintbrush could be Stained in Red
“What brush is this?” “It is sable-hair brush. One of the best brushes.” “Okay, we will buy it. Will you give us a bill for the same?” “Bill…umm…no, it is illegal to sell these brushes.” “Why illegal?” “It is wildlife. Banned in India.” The conversation your read above was between an undercover volunteer from Wildlife […]