It’s an age-old debate for coffee lovers. Which is better: Arabica beans with their sweeter, softer taste, or the bold, deep flavor of Robusta beans? A new study by WCS, Princeton University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison appearing in the journal Scientific Reports has taken the question to unlikely coffee aficionados: birds. The researchers, led by WCS […]
To Breed or Not to Breed? Migratory Butterflies of India Make Smart Choices, Finds a New Study
Quick Notes Butterflies of peninsular India that undergo a bidirectional migration every year choose a reproductive pause to conserve energy. Migrating and non-migrating female butterflies have distinct morphological and physiological differences. A non-reproductive state helps migratory butterflies to use energy for the exhaustive 300 km migration journey from Western to Eastern Ghats. Post migration the […]
New Aquatic Species of Snake Discovered in the Western Ghats
Quick Notes A new species of aquatic snake has been discovered in the Western Ghats. It is endemic to India. The snake prefers to live in fresh water streams. Juveniles and adults have different coloration. The snake was earlier mistaken to be Olive forest snake but was correctly identified after DNA testing to be a […]
4 New Species Of Burrowing Frogs Discovered In India
For researcher Sonali Garg, the discovery of not 1 but four new species of frogs by her comes as a complete surprise. It is because for her field study in the Western Ghats, she was on the lookout for only a single species of burrowing frog named the Rufescent Burrowing Frog (Fejervarya rufescens) that builds its […]
Rare Dhole Home Range Studied Using Camera Traps For The First Time
A new study led by scientists from Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program, Centre for Wildlife Studies (Bangalore), and University of Florida, USA, presents the first home-range size estimate of Asiatic wild dogs or ‘dholes’ based on camera trap surveys. Image via wikimedia The study, based on intensive camera-trap surveys conducted in Nagarahole and Wayanad wildlife reserves […]
Wild Cats And Wild Dogs Of India Choose To Co-Exist Rather Than Compete
A new study in India by Wildlife Conservation Soceity (WCS) shows that three carnivores – tigers, leopards, and dholes (Asian wild dog) – seemingly in direct competition with one other, are living side by side with surprisingly little conflict. Usually, big cats and wild canids live in different locations to avoid each other. Read More: […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]