Bio-Diversity and Conservation

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Snow Leopard occupies the high mountains of twelve countries extending from the Hindu Kush in eastern Afghanistan and the Syr Darya through the mountains of Pamir, Karakorum, Kunlun, and the Himalaya to southern Siberia, as well as the Russian Altai, Sayan and Tannu Ola Mountains.

Statement 2 is correct. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List with decreasing population trend and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
It has been reported that Uttarakhand is set to open the country’s first snow leopard conservation center at the entry point of Gangotri National Park.

Statement 1 is incorrect. In India, the leopard is found in all forest types, from tropical rainforests to temperate deciduous and alpine coniferous forests. It is also found in dry scrubs and grasslands, the only exception being desert and the mangroves of Sundarbans. It shares its territory with the tiger in various states.
Statement 2 is correct. Indian leopard or Common leopard (Panthera pardus) is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List and included in Appendix I of CITES.

Both statements are correct.
Dhole is the wild dog of Asia that was once found throughout much of the continent, but this species is now endangered and has a much restricted range.
It is an extant species in Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; India; Indonesia; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Malaysia; Myanmar; Nepal and Thailand.
Dhole is listed as Endangered species in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with decreasing population trend. It is also listed in CITES Appendix II.

Statement 1 is correct. In Asian elephants, only males have tusks, both male and female African elephants are tusked.
The elephant is Earth’s largest land animal, although the Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin. Asian elephants can be identified by their smaller, rounded ears.
They live in forested regions of India and throughout Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. About a third of Asian elephants live in captivity.
Statement 2 is correct. The Asian elephant is classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The beta version of National Portal on human elephant conflict called “Surakhsya” for collection of real time information has been launched recently.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) also known as the great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
In India, its habitat spreads over Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats.
Statement 2 is correct. Due to habitat loss and hunting in some areas, the great hornbill is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (changed from near threatened in 2018) and in the Appendix I of CITES.

Statement 1 is correct. The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal. A cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey.
Statement 2 is correct. The Asiatic cheetah, which once roamed parts of India, is now only found in Iran, where there are thought to be about 50 left.

Studies show that at least 200 cheetahs were killed in India, largely by sheep and goat herders, during the colonial period. It is the only large mammal to become extinct after the country gained independence in 1947.
Recently Cheetahs from South Africa arrived at Mysuru zoo (not in wild).
The Supreme Court in January, 2020 said African cheetahs could be introduced to the wild in a “carefully chosen location” India.
Cheetahs are the only big cats that can’t roar.

Both statements are correct.
The Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. But the species is extinct from most of its early distribution ranges.
The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind. They hunt by emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to “see” an image in their mind.
It is listed as Endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Statement 1 is correct. Seagrasses belong to a group of plants called monocotyledons that include grasses, lilies and palms. Seagrasses have leaves, roots and veins, and produce flowers and seeds.
Chloroplasts in their tissues use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen for growth through the process of photosynthesis.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Even though seagrasses and seaweeds look superficially similar, they are very different organisms.
Algae (Seaweed) on the seafloor have a holdfast and transport nutrients through the body by diffusion, while seagrasses are flowering vascular plants with roots and an internal transport system.
Seagrasses grow in salty and brackish (semi-salty) waters around the world, typically along gently sloping, protected coastlines. Because they depend on light for photosynthesis, they are most commonly found in shallow depths where light levels are high.
Seagrasses are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Seagrasses provide shelter and food to an incredibly diverse community of animals, from tiny invertebrates to large fish, crabs, turtles, marine mammals and birds.

The Somali elephant shrew or Somali sengi is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. These are neither elephants nor shrews, but related to aardvarks, elephants and manatees. The last scientific record of the “lost species” of elephant shrew was in the 1970s, despite local sightings.
A team of researchers from the United States and the Republic of Djibouti has rediscovered the elusive Somali sengi (Elephantulus revoilii) over 50 years after it was last recorded. While this species, also known as the Somali elephant-shrew, is historically documented as endemic to Somalia, the new records are from the neighboring Republic of Djibouti and thus expand the species’ known range in the Horn of Africa.
In 2017, the Global Wildlife Conservation identified it as a Top 25 Most Wanted animal in their Search for Lost Species initiative. It is currently listed as Data Deficient in IUCN Red List.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Brown bears are not endemic to Himalaya, rather
various subspecies of the Brown bear are found in Europe, Russia, Himalaya and Alaska.
Statement 2 is correct. Himalayan Brown bear (Ursus Arctos) is listed in the Schedule I of
the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) is listed as Least Concern
in the IUCN Red List.
# A recent study by Zoological Survey of India on the Himalayan brown bear (Ursus arctos
isabellinus) has predicted a significant reduction in suitable habitat and biological corridors of
the species in the climate change scenario.

Nine species of vultures are found in India. The species worst hit are Whiterumped,
Indian (Long billed), and Slender-billed Vultures. These are also listed as
Critically Endangered in the IUCN RED List.
The white-rumped vulture had previously numbered in the millions, and was possibly the
most abundant large bird of prey in the world. The long-billed vulture had also been very
common in India, while the slender-billed vulture had historically been less common.
Others are affected too, but not as badly, due to a number of factors, including their
migratory nature (such as Cinereous Vulture and Eurasian Griffon) or their habitats being
more remote and forested (such as Himalayan Griffon).

Statement 1 is correct. Snow leopards are officially recognized as Vulnerable
on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their general population trend is thought to be
decreasing. Localized extinctions are believed to have occurred in some areas of the former
Soviet Union, including Kyrgyzstan.
Statement 2 is correct. The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program
(GSLEP) seeks to address high-mountain development issues using the conservation of the charismatic and endangered snow leopard as a flagship. India is also party to the Global
Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme since 2013.
Statement 3 is correct. In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the
western Himalayas including the states and UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Recently, during a virtual meet, community volunteer programme “Himal Sanrakshak” was
launched by Minister of Environment for snow leopard conservation.

Statement 1 is correct. Every October, flocks of Amur falcons from Siberia
start landing in north east India (fame for Pangti village of Nagaland). Thousands of these
small raptors (Falco amurensis) frolic in the village for about two months before they head
for warmer climes in Kenya and South Africa in a non-stop flight over the Arabian Sea.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Falco amurensis is listed as Least Concern under IUCN Red List.
# Chuilon and Irang, the radio-tagged Amur Falcons, arrived in Manipur after completing one
migratory journey that covered 29,000 km in 361 days recently.

Both statements are incorrect.
Brahma Kamal is native to the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, India,
Mongolian, northern Burma and southwest China. It is known to bloom after sunset and
just once a year.
It is also State Flower of Uttarakhand. The flower is highly valued in Tibetan medicine and
Ayurveda for its healing properties. It is extensively used by the local population to treat
cuts and bruises.
# State Flower of Maharashtra is Jarul.

The Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, with altitude range from 600m to 6,905m is

located in the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. The term ‘Askot’ is derived from ‘Assi

Kot’ or Eighty Forts, many of which are located in Nepal.

The River Kali forms the international boundary and separates it from Nepal in the east and

to the west it is bounded by West Almora Forest Division, to the north by Tibet and the

south by Pithoragarh Forest Division.

National Butterfly Campaign Consortium, a collective of 50 butterfly

experts and enthusiasts, conducted a citizen poll to identify the national butterfly

concluded with three species garnering the highest number of votes: Krishna Peacock

(Papilio krishna), Indian Jezebel (Delias eucharis), and Orange Oakleaf (Kallima inachus).

Krishna Peacock, a flagship species for biodiversity and conservation, is generally found in

large numbers in the Himalayas.

Orange Oakleaf is commonly known as ‘dead leaf’ for its ability to camouflage as a dry

autumn leaf is found in the moist forests of northern Western Ghats, central, northern and

northeast India.

Indian Jezebel is a common butterfly known to deter its predators with its flashy wing

colours, found in the non-arid regions of India.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The fishing cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South

and Southeast Asia. It is resident species in Bangladesh; Cambodia; India; Myanmar;

Nepal; Pakistan; Sri Lanka; Thailand.

Statement 2 is correct. The Fishing Cat is listed as Vulnerable species with decreasing

population trend in IUCN Red List. It is also listed in the Schedule I of Indian Wildlife

Protection Act, 1972.

# The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) designated the fishing cat as ambassador. The

fishing cat is the only wild cat species in India that is a wetland specialist, and it’s found all

around Chilika.

The ‘Buldhana Pattern’ of water conservation has won national recognition

and the NITI Aayog is in the process of formulating National Policy on water conversation

based on it.

It refers to synchronization of national highway construction and water conservation

that was achieved for the first time in Buldhana district, by using soil from the water

bodies, nallas and rivers. This consequently led to the increase in capacity of water storage

across the water-bodies in Buldana district and it came to be known as ‘Buldhana Pattern’.

Both statements are correct.

Gangetic Dolphin was declared the national aquatic animal (2009).

Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-

Sangu river systems of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. But the species is extinct from most

of its early distribution ranges.

The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind. They hunt by

emitting ultrasonic sounds, which bounces off of fish and other prey, enabling them to

“see” an image in their mind.

Ganges River Dolphin is listed as Endangered in IUCN Red List.

# Recently the Prime Minister announced Project Dolphin on the lines of Project Tiger aimed at

conserving the riverine and oceanic dolphins.

Statement 1 is correct. On the occasion of World Rhino Day, Union Minister

for Environment has launched a National Conservation Strategy for Indian One-Horned

Rhino. India is home to the largest number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world with

population in the range of 3000 animals in Assam, West Bengal and UP.

Earlier, the Indian rhino could be found all along the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra valley. It

occupied an area stretching from the borders of Myanmar in the east, across northern India

and southern Nepal, as far as the Indus Valley in Pakistan in the west.

It is now found in a few pockets of the Brahmaputra valley in Assam and in the Terai

grassland region of India and Nepal in the foothill of the Himalayas, the two main hubs

being India’s Kaziranga National Park and Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Greater One-horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is listed as

Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.

One horned rhino was close to extinction with a population of less than 200 in the

beginning of the 20th century. It is the only large mammal species in Asia to be down-listed

from endangered to vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature,

IUCN Red list in 2008.

Both statements are correct.

The Indian Peacock Softshell Turtle species is confined to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is widespread in the northern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with mud or sand bottoms. It is omnivorous, juveniles observed feeding on mosquito larvae and fish, while adults consume snails, earthworms, prawns, fish, frogs, carrion, and vegetation.

It is listed as Vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List.

–The species is heavily exploited for its meat and calipee (the outer cartilaginous rim of the shell).

–Threats in the River Ganga to the species are those generic for all large river turtles, including reduction of fish stock, as a result of overfishing, pollution, increase in river traffic, and sand-mining, among others.

All of the above are correctly matched.

At the 37th General Body meeting of Central Zoo Authority chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, two new zoos the Rajgir Zoo Safari in Nalanda, Bihar and Shaheed Ashfaque Ullah Khan Prani Udyaan in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh were granted recognition.

Nandankanan Zoological Park is a zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Established in 1960 it became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in 2009.

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has projected that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050 and it could be extinct by then if urgent steps are not taken.

Statement 1 is correct. The black giant squirrel or Malayan giant squirrel is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa native to the Indomalayan zootope. It is found in forests from northern Bangladesh, northeast India, eastern Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and western Indonesia.

Statement 2 is incorrect.  Black Giant Squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) is listed as ‘Near threatened’ species in the IUCN Red List.

The Shola vegetation are tropical montane forests found in the Western Ghats separated by rolling grasslands in high altitudes.

Most species such as Eucalyptus, Wattle (Acacia), introduced from Australia, have become highly invasive. Introduced about four centuries ago to create tannin in the Nilgiris have colonised the grasslands extensively and encroached upon the adjoining shola forests.

Statement 1 is correct. Himalayan serows (Capricornis sumatraensis thar) are herbivores, and are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet). They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.

It was recently spotted by locals and wildlife officials at a riverside rocky wall near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Statement 2 is correct. Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) is protected under the Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Capricornis sumatraensis is also listed as Vulnerable specie in the IUCN Red list.

Myristica swamp treefrog is a rare arboreal species endemic to the Western Ghats. It bears the scientific name Mercurana myristicapalustris and recently has been recorded for the first time north of the Shencottah gap in the Vazha­chal Reserve Forest in Kera­la’s Thrissur district.
The frog was first spotted in 2013 in the Myristica swamps of Arippa, near the Kulathupuzha Reserve For­est, in the western foothills of Agasthyamalai, in Kollam district. These frogs are rare and elu­sive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season.

Leopard (Panthera pardus) is the most widely distributed and adaptable member of the family Felidae. However, their current distribution and numbers have significantly decreased across the range due to habitat loss, prey depletion, conflict and poaching over the last century.
This have resulted in changing the species status from ‘Near Threatened’ to ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN. It is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 in India providing it with the highest level of protection.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Status of Leopards in India 2018 report was released recently by the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Statement 2 is correct. India now has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014. More than 60% increase in population has been recorded. The States of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra recorded the highest leopard estimates at 3,421, 1,783 and 1,690 respectively.

Statement 1 is correct. Historically, the Great Indian Bustard was distributed throughout Western India, spanning 11 states, as well as parts of Pakistan. Its stronghold was once the Thar desert in the north-west and the Deccan plateau of the peninsula. Today, its population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The biggest threat to this species is hunting, which is still prevalent in Pakistan. This is followed by occasional poaching outside Protected Areas, collisions with high tension electric wires, fast moving vehicles and free-ranging dogs in villages. Other threats include habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion and mechanized farming.
Statement 2 is correct. Great Indian Bustard (Choriotis nigriceps) is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972 and as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

All of the above are recognized as Important Bird Areas (IBAs).
The IBA programme of Birdlife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for conservation of the world’s birds and associated biodiversity.
The IBAs serve as conservation areas for protection of birds at the global, regional or sub-regional level. According to Birdlife International, designation of IBAs is based on standardized criteria, namely (i) hold significant numbers of one or more globally threatened bird species, (ii) be one of a set of sites that together hold a suite of restricted-range species or biome-restricted species and (iii) have exceptionally large numbers of migratory or congregatory birds.

The Tso Kar Basin is a high-altitude wetland complex, consisting of two principal waterbodies, Startsapuk Tso, a freshwater lake of about 438 hectares to the south, and Tso Kar itself, a hypersaline lake of 1800 hectares to the north, situated in the Changthang region of Ladakh.
The Tso Kar Basin is an A1 Category Important Bird Area (IBA) as per Bird Life International and a key staging site in the Central Asian Flyway.
The site is also one of the most important breeding areas of the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) in India. This IBA is also the major breeding area for Great Crested Grebe (Podicepscristatus), Bar-headed Geese (Anserindicus), Ruddy Shelduck (Tadornaferruginea), Brown-headed Gull (Larusbrunnicephalus), Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadriusmongolus) and many other species.

The Indian bullfrog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (native to the Indian subcontinent) has rapidly invaded the Andaman Islands after it was introduced there in the early 2000s.
• In human-dominated areas, it now shares space with other native (and often endemic) frog species.
• The bullfrogs are prolific breeders: they have short breeding seasons, and each egg clutch can contain up to 5,750 eggs.
• Its tadpoles are carnivorous and eat other tadpoles (including their own species).
• It is native to the Indian subcontinent (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan) and is the largest frog in India.

A new snake eel species residing in the Bay of Bengal has been discovered and documented this month (January) by the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre (EBRC) of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) at Gopalpur-on-sea in Odisha.
• This new marine species has been named Ophichthus kailashchandrai to honour the vast contributions of Dr. Kailash Chandra, Director of ZSI, to Indian animal taxonomy.
• Ophichthus kailashchandrai is the eighth species of the Ophichthus genus found on the Indian coast. It is the fifth new species discovered by the Gopalpur ZSI in the last two years.
• The eel family ‘Ophichthidae’ comprises two sub-families — Myrophinae (69 species) and Ophichthinae (276 species).
• The sub-family Ophichthinae is identified by its hard tail and other osteological (bone) features, and it has 17 genera and 24 species.
• Out of them, seven species from the Ophichthus genus were earlier identified in Indian waters. The recent discovery is the eighth species of this genus.
• The Ophichthus kailashchandrai lives at a depth of around 50 metres in the sea. According to the studied specimens, individuals of this species are around 420 mm to 462 mm in length.
• They are light brown in colour, with white fins. They have a well-developed pectoral fin and also have a dorsal fin.
• Their posterior nostril is a hole covered by a flap on the upper lip opening towards the mouth.
• There are 180-182 total vertebrae in this new species. Their teeth are moderately elongated, conical and sharp.

The monkeys are divided into two main groups—Old World and New World
monkeys. The term “old world” refers to the areas (Europe, Africa, and Asia) known to the
Europeans prior to the discovery of the “new world” (the Americas).
•New World monkeys are members of five different primate families (Callitrichidae,
Cebidae, Aotidae, Pitheciidae, and Atelidae) and consist of almost exclusively
arboreal (tree-dwelling) species like marmosets, tamarins, capuchins, and spider
monkeys.
•Old World monkeys belong to the family Cercopithecidae and consist of
species such as macaques, baboons, and vervet monkeys.
•These monkeys spend much more of their time on the ground, but can be found in
habitats ranging from the rainforest to the savannah to the mountains.

From millions, the population of the three Gyps species has been recently
estimated to be about 20,000, i.e., 12,000 long-billed, 6,000 white-rumped and the rarest
being the slender-billed vulture at 1,000.
•By 2000, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared all
these three species in its highest risk category – Critically Endangered.
•An avian population decline can be due to many factors – poaching, epidemics,
habitat destruction – but none explained the rapidity, scale and expanse of the
decline across South Asia.
•Initially, biologists reckoned that bioaccumulation of pesticides as a potential cause
for the loss of vultures, like DDT that had poisoned bald eagles in the US in the
1960s.
•Ultimately, it took the minds of many nations – an international team of over a
dozen scientists under the aegis of the Peregrin Fund, and tests on vulture
carcasses in Pakistan – to pin the culprit down to diclofenac, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory
drug (NSAID) administered to cattle.
•Vultures feeding on the carcasses of animals recently treated with drug
suffered renal failure that caused visceral gout and death.
•It is a fast-acting, effective painkiller and also soothes fevers. Plus, it’s cheap —
costing about Rs 20, or less than half-a dollar for a dose.

Sponges have been around for a very long time, with certain species having a
fossil record that dates back approximately 600 million years to the earliest (Precambrian)
period of Earth’s history.
The approximately 8,550 living sponge species are scientifically classified in the
phylum Porifera, which is comprised of four distinct classes:
•the Demospongiae (the most diverse, containing 90 percent of all living sponges),
•Hexactinellida (the rare glass sponges),
•Calcarea (calcareous sponges), and
•Homoscleromorpha (the rarest and simplest class, only recently recognized, with
approximately 117 species).
While sponges, like corals, are immobile aquatic invertebrates, they are otherwise
completely different organisms with distinct anatomy, feeding methods, and reproductive
processes. The main differences are:
•Corals are complex, many-celled organisms. Sponges are very simple creatures
with no tissues.
•All corals require saltwater to survive. While most sponges are found in the
ocean, numerous species are also found in fresh water and estuaries.

Indian pangolin.
Statement 1 is correct: Of the eight extant species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin Manis
crassicaudata and Chinese Pangolin M. pentadactyla occur in India. Indian Pangolin is a
large anteater covered dorsally by 11-13 rows of scales.
•The adult male is about one-third larger than the female. A terminal scale is also
present on the ventral side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the
Chinese Pangolin.
•Its sticky tongue, which is longer than its body, is specially adapted for reaching and
lapping up insects in deep crevices.
•To tear open the anthills or termite mounds, it uses the powerful forelimbs that are
armed with three disproportionately long claws. In sharp contrast, the hind legs
have tough soles and short, blunt nails on the five toes.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as
Endangered on IUCN Red List.

Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko).
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is one of the largest geckos in
the country and the world; at about 15 inches the males are gigantic. This is a nocturnal
arboreal gecko, ranging from northeast India, to Nepal and Bangladesh, throughout
Southeast Asia, Philippines to Indonesia and western New Guinea. They are very
colorful lizards too.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) was included for the first time
under Appendix II of CITES at the Conference of the Parties (CoP18) to the convention.
The gecko is used in Chinese traditional medicine and traded throughout south-east Asia in
dried form or preserved in alcohol.

Seabuckthorn (Hippophae spp. L.) is an ecologically and economically
important plant of trans-Himalayan Ladakh.
•The plant is hard and it can withstand extreme temperatures from -43ºC to
40ºC and it is considered to be drought tolerant.
•Seabuckthorn berries are among the most nutritious of all fruits.
•Seabuckthorn grows naturally in Ladakh without much of human interference.
•After the transfer of a Seabuckthorn-based technology by Defence Institute of High
Altitude Research (DIHAR) to a private firm in year 2001, collection of berry has
become an important income generating activity.
•Ladakh remains the major site for natural Seabuckthorn resource with over
70% of the total area (13,000 ha) under Seabuckthorn in the country.

The Gujarat Forest Department has recently announced that the number
of Asiatic lions in the state has gone up till 674 from 523 that were reported in a Lion
Census done five years ago.
•What is interesting about this year’s announcement is that the number was not
estimated via Census but some observational method called Poonam Avlokan.
•The exercise is carried out monthly and in-house every full moon.
•On this day, all the officers and field staff members assess the number of lions for
24 hours across various areas within their respective jurisdictions.
•The exercise this time involved around 10 districts where lions have been spotted
over the years by 13 forest divisions.
•The exercise took place recently and the forest department announced the lion number announced based on this method.

Indian gazelles or chinkara (Gazella bennettii), are primarily found in the
northwestern region of India in the state of Rajasthan.
•Their distribution extends from south of the Krishia River, as far east as central
India, and into the north-central region of Iran (east of the Zagros Range and
south of the Alborz).
•Sixty to 70 percent of the global population of Indian gazelles is presently found in
western Rajasthan.
•Indian gazelles can thrive in a variety of habitats. They have been observed in dry
deciduous forests, open woodlands, and dry areas such as sand dunes, semi-arid
deserts, and arid valleys that have an annual rainfall of 150 to 750 mm.
•Indian gazelles are facultative drinkers and can withstand relatively long intervals
between visits to water points by conserving metabolic water and taking advantage
of water found in vegetation.
•According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of Chinkara is around
50,000-70,000 mature individuals. There are also estimated populations of this
species in the following areas: in India (in 2011) there were more than 100,000
animals with 80,000 animals living in the Tahr Desert; in Iran – around 1,300
animals.
•Currently, Chinkara are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List
but their numbers today are decreasing.

The Supreme Court allowed the Centre to introduce the African cheetah to a
suitable habitat in India.
•With India’s own cheetahs vanishing, a plea for this had been filed by the National
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), seeking permission to introduce the African
cheetah from Namibia.
•Before Namibia, India had approached Iran for Asiatic cheetahs, but had been
refused.
•The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the
IUCN Red List, and is believed to survive only in Iran.
•In 1947, Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo of Koriya (now in Chhattisgarh)
reportedly killed the last known Asiatic cheetah in India.
•In 1952, the cheetah was officially declared extinct from India.

Four species of fauna and 18 species of flora have gone extinct in India in the past few centuries, according to wildlife survey organisations.
• As per the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) 18 species of plants — four non-flowering and 14 flowering — have gone extinct.
• The notable among them are Lastreopsis wattii , a fern in Manipur discovered by George Watt in 1882 and three species from the genus Ophiorrhiza (Ophiorrhiza brunonis , Ophiorrhiza caudate and Ophiorrhiza radican ), all discovered from peninsular India.
• Corypha taliera Roxb, a palm species discovered in Myanmar and the Bengal region by William Roxburgh is also extinct.
• Among mammals, the cheetah (Acionyx jubatus) and the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensisi) are considered extinct in India.
• The pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllaceai) is feared extinct since 1950 and the Himalayan quail (Ophrysia supercililios) was last reported in 1876.

NOTE: Director of the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) said India is home to 11.5% of all flora in the world. According to the International Union for Conservation Of Nature (IUCN), a new study has shown that since 1750, more than double the number of plants have disappeared from the wild than birds, mammals and amphibians combined.

The Nilgiri langur, also known as the hooded leaf monkey, black leaf monkey, Indian hooded leaf monkey, John’s langur, Nilgiri black langur, and the Nilgiri leaf monkey, is a species of Old World monkey endemic to South India.
• It is found in the Western Ghats, particularly in the Nilgiri Hills from which it derives its name, but also in other hilly areas in that region.
• They prefer to live between 980 and 6,500 ft (300–2,000 m) above sea level, and typically settle in at around 4,600 ft (1,400 m).
• Since they are an arboreal species, they seek out habitat with trees, and are known to inhabit secondary moist deciduous forests and evergreen forests. Other considerations include proximity to water and distance from humans.
• This is a diurnal species, meaning they are active during the day. While active, they spend approximately half of their time eating and the other half resting.

Kaiser-i-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis) is one of the most elusive swallowtail butterflies, with a 90mm to 120mm wingspan.
• It occurs in Eastern Himalayan States like Bengal (Darjeeling), Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, the Khasi hills of Meghalaya as well as outside India in Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam and Laos.
• The butterfly keeps to the top of trees and is therefore difficult to capture. It was once plentiful in the Khasi hills, near Cherrapunjee.
• Kaiser-i-Hind is a rare and spectacular swallowtail butterfly species. It is protected by Indian law under schedule II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• This butterfly is an IUCN red-listed species.
• It has a strong and fast flight. It usually flies at tree-top level but when there is strong morning sunlight it descends to sit on low vegetation.
• April to July is the period when it is in flight. Its eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and are pale purplish red in colour and smooth and spherical in shape.

Lorises are unique tiny creatures that live on trees. Endemic to the Eastern Ghats they are distributed in select pockets across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
• The patch of deciduous shrub forest in Ayyalur, situated on the Dindigul-Tiruchi-Karur border has been identified as an international hotspot for the Grey Slender Loris by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

•IUCN has listed them as Endangered, whereas they are listed under the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, according them the highest level of legal protection.

The platypus is a remarkable mammal found only in Australia. The platypus is a duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed, egg-laying aquatic creature native to Australia.
• The platypus is the sole living representative of its family, and genus, though a number of related species appear in the fossil record.
• It is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

“Operation Clean Art” was the first pan India operation to crackdown on the smuggling of mongoose hair in the country.
• There are six species of mongoose found in India and we have mostly recovered [in the raids] grey mongoose [hair].
• An adult mongoose yields over 30-40 gm of long hair, from which only 20-25 gm of “brush-making hair” is recovered.
• Operation Clean Art was conceived by WCCB with the singular aim of ensuring that the mongoose hair brush trade should be closed down across the country.
• Describing the making of brushes with mongoose hair an “organised crime”, the official said most of these animals were poached by “hunting communities” across the country.
• The mongoose is listed in Schedule II Part 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act and any smuggling or possession of its body part is a non-bailable offence.

India now has a fifth brown pit viper but with reddish tinge.
• A team of herpetologists have described a new species of reddish-brown pit viper — a venomous snake with a unique heat-sensing system — from a forest in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The new species also makes Arunachal Pradesh the only Indian state to have a pit viper named after it.
• The other four — Malabar, horseshoe, hump-nosed and Himalayan — were discovered 70 years ago.

The National Centre for Coastal Research, an institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, in India, has a field research station in the Gulf of Mannar region, and researchers have found an alarming pattern of bleaching in the reefs in Mandapam, Keezhakkarai and Palk Bay.
• About 12% of coral species observed at depths between 0m and 2m such as Porites solida, Poritis lutea, Montipora digitate, Acropora hyacinthus were completely bleached.

•About 5% of species observed at depths between 2m and 4m such as Acropora formosa, Acropora hyacinthus, Montipora digitata, Montipora foliosa, Pocillopora damicornis, Goniastrea retiformis, Platygyra sinensis, Dipsastrea favus, Dipsastrea speciosa were partially bleached.
• Porites species observed in Palk Bay region were completely bleached at depths from zero to 4 metres. Corals at depths over 5m did not face bleaching.
• In some sites the massive corals such as Porites species were completely bleached but branching corals such as Montipora digitata and Acropora species were not bleached.
• Coral reefs are important hotspots of biodiversity in the ocean. Corals are animals in the same class (Cnidaria) as jellyfish and anemones.
• They consist of individual polyps that get together and build reefs. Coral reefs support a wide range of species and maintain the quality of the coastal biosphere.
• Corals control the level of carbon dioxide in the water by converting it into a limestone shell.
• If this process does not take place, the amount of carbon dioxide in the ocean water would increase significantly and affect ecological niches.

The Indian Ocean is home to 75% of the world’s population of the whale shark, a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest fish species on earth.
• The whale shark — an endangered species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• The Whale Shark also receives international protection due to its inclusion in Appendix II of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).

A new species of dung beetle has been discovered in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The species, Enoplotrupes tawangensis, is shining dark blue in colour and, measuring up to 27 mm, is relatively bigger than most of the dung beetles.
• Dung beetles belong to the super family scarabaeoidea, having clubbed antennae and pro-tibiae (pro-legs) modified for burrowing dung inside the soil.
• These groups of insects are considered beneficial to the environment as they help in nutrient cycling of the soil. Often referred to as little recyclers, these scavenger beetles require mammalian dung to survive.
• “Insects comprise almost 65% of all animal species on the planet. From India, approximately 65,000 species of insects are known, of them, more than 22,000 species are beetles.

•Dung beetles are the one of the fascinating group of insects because of their ability to bury dung deep in the soil and are indicators of the ecological health of an ecosystem”.
• Other than the relatively large size and distinct blue colour, another important distinguishing characteristic of this species is the strong sexual dimorphism, with the fronto-clypeal horn shorter in females than males.

Golden is no longer the only colour the elusive Asiatic golden cat can be associated with.
• Its coat comes in five other shades in Arunachal Pradesh, scientists have discovered.
• The Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species.
• It is found across eastern Nepal through north-eastern India to Indonesia.
• Indian scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), an international conservation charity, and University College London (UCL) have discovered six colour morphs of the golden cat in Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Scientists have found that its coat comes in six types: cinnamon, golden, gray, melanistic, ocelot and tightly rosetted

The new genus and species of the natricine — predominantly aquatic — that took a seven-member team of herpetologists 12 years to document, has been named Smithophis atemporalis after eminent British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith for his immense contribution to Indian herpetology.
• Although new to science, the discovery is locally called Ruahlawmrul or rain-loving snake.
• The maximum recorded size of the new species is 655 mm and is commonly seen in human dominated landscapes after rains.
• The team led by Varad B. Giri of the Bengaluru-based National Centre for Biological Sciences and comprising two Mizoram zoologists — H.T. Lalremsanga and Samuel Lalronunga — had conducted molecular analyses to find that Ruahlawmrul and other species called bicoloured forest snake (Rhabdops bicolor), found primarily in Meghalaya, differed from the Olive forest snake (Rhabdops olivaceous) endemic to Western Ghats

India has opened its first specialised hydrotherapy treatment for elephants suffering from arthritis, joint pain and foot ailments near the Wildlife SOS’ Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC), which currently houses 20 rescued elephants and is run in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and the NGO Wildlife SOS.
• Situated on the banks of the Yamuna in Mathura, the new hydrotherapy jumbo pool is 11-foot-deep and has 21 high pressure jet sprays that create water pressure that massage the elephants’ feet and body and help in increasing blood circulation.
• “The hospital started in 2018 already offers state-of-the-art modern facilities including wireless digital X-ray, laser treatment, dental X-ray, thermal imaging and ultra-sonography to treat injured, sick and geriatric elephants”.

There are 21 critically endangered species in India. Snow Leopard, Bustard (including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer, Jerdon’s Courser, the Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea Humpback Whale and Red Panda.

The Botanical Survey of India has come up with the first comprehensive census of orchids of India putting the total number of orchid species or taxa to 1,256.
• Orchids of India: A Pictorial Guide, a publication detailing all the species of India was unveiled earlier this month by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• The 1,256 species or taxa of orchids belong to 155 genera and 388 species are endemic to India.
• A State-wise distribution of orchid species points out that the Himalayas, North-East parts of the country and Western Ghats are the hot-spots of the beautiful plant species.
• The highest number of orchid species is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh with 612 species, followed by Sikkim 560 species and West Bengal; Darjeeling Himalayas have also high species concentration, with 479 species.
• While north-east India rank at the top in species concentration, the Western Ghats have high endemism of orchids.
• There are 388 species of orchids, which are endemic to India of which about one-third (128) endemic species are found in Western Ghats. The publication point out that Kerala has 111 of these endemic species while Tamil Nadu has 92 of them.
• Another interesting factor is that the entire orchid family is listed under appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and hence any trade of wild orchid is banned globally.
• “Some of the orchids like Dendrobium , Phalaenopsis, Oncidium and Cymbidium are quite popular in floriculture trade and have a demand both within and outside country”.

NOTE: Orchids can be broadly categorised into three life forms:

•epiphytic (plants growing on another plants including those growing on rock boulders and often termed lithophyte),
• terrestrial (plants growing on land and climbers) and
• mycoheterotrophic (plants which derive nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that are attached to the roots of a vascular plant).
About 60% of all orchids found in the country, which is 757 species, are epiphytic, 447 are terrestrial and 43 are mycoheterotrophic.

There has been a sharp decline in the population of vultures in the country which has come down from 40 million to 19,000 in a span of over three decades, the Environment Ministry told the Parliament.
• Responding to a query on the status of vultures in the country, Union Environment Minister said there are three species of critically endangered resident Gyps vultures – white-backed vulture, long-billed vulture and slender-billed vulture – whose population as per the latest figures is 6,000, 12,000 and 1,000, respectively.
• The Minister said nationwide vulture surveys are being carried out by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) every four years sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forest Departments of various States since 1990.
• The major cause of mortality of vultures was found to be the veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug ‘Diclofenac’, given to cattle in pain and inflammation.
• It said that for protection and conservation of vultures in the country, the government has also upgraded the status of White-backed, Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures from Schedule IV to Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

NOTE: Indian Griffon vulture – Least Concerned and Bearded vulture – Near Threatened.

Assam has added to India’s botanical wealth a plant that yields dragon’s blood — a bright red resin used since ancient times as medicine, body oil, varnish, incense and dye.
• A trio of researchers led by Assam forest officials has discovered Dracaena cambodiana, a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong.

•This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has been reported from India.
• Dracaena cambodiana is an important medicinal plant as well as an ornamental tree.
• It is a major source of dragon’s blood, a precious traditional medicine in China.
• Several antifungal and antibacterial compounds, antioxidants, flavonoids, etc., have been extracted from various parts of the plant.

Tiger census is conducted for once in four years.
• Since 2006, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) — an Environment Ministry funded body — has been tasked with coordinating the exercise.
• That year, the once in four years exercise calculated that India had only 1,411 tigers.
• This rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014 on the back of improved conservation measures and new estimation methods.
• India accounts for most of the 3,500-odd tigers that are scattered among Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• As part of an agreement in 2010 among these countries, there is a goal to double the global tiger count by 2022.

From Wandering Albatross to Coastal Redwood, Google on April 22, 2019 celebrated Earth Day with a series of animations on six unique inhabitants on the Earth.
• While Wandering Albatross has the widest wingspan in the world, Coastal Redwood is the tallest tree in the world at 377 feet.
• Paedophryne Amauensis is a species of frog from Papua New Guinea. At 7.7 mm in length, it is considered the world’s smallest known vertebrate.
• Another animation is on Amazon Water Lily which is the largest aquatic plant.
• Then there is Coelacanth — a fish that was long considered a “living fossil”. It evolved into roughly its current form approximately 400 million years ago.
• Several recent studies have shown that Coelacanth body shapes are much more diverse than previously thought.
• The last animation is on “Deep Cave Springtail”, insects that live in total darkness in caves where they feed on fungi and decomposing organic matter.

The theme of this year’s Earth Day was ‘Protect Our Species’ and intended to draw attention to the rapid global destruction and reduction of the world’s plant and wildlife populations.