Species File is a weekly profile of animals in the news where we break down key facts and draw on our past reporting to connect the dots.

King cobras are hitching rides on trains in Goa. A recent study reported repeated instances of the species being found on trains in the coastal state, drawing attention to how habitat fragmentation and linear infrastructure can bring large snakes into unexpected human-dominated areas.

The king cobra is a reptile found primarily in tropical forests and distributed widely across South and Southeast Asia. Its average length is about 10 to 13 feet – vertically, that’s about half as tall as a giraffe. The cobra is the world’s longest venomous snake. It feeds mainly on other snakes, including other cobras, which is how it earned the ‘king’ in its name. In India, the king cobra is typically found across northern, eastern and northeastern regions, including forested habitats and the Andaman Islands.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global body assessing species’ extinction risk, lists the king cobra as vulnerable to extinction in the wild. It population is declining, mainly because of habitat loss and forest degradation. In India, it is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which means hunting, capturing, or trading the species is a punishable offence.

In 2024, a landmark study, led by wildlife biologist P. Gowri Shankar, found that the king cobra is not a single species, as previously thought, but rather four genetically distinct species: Northern king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah); Sunda king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus); Western Ghats king cobra (Ophiophagus kaalinga); Luzon king cobra (Ophiophagus salvatana). In an earlier Mongabay-India story published in 2024, Shankar said, “King cobras could potentially be five or six species. More research is needed.”

Read more about the king cobra in our stories on the newly described species, myths around king cobra venom, and the train-travelling cobras.

Banner image: Image by Tontan Travel via Flickr (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Studies have examined the role of multiple landscape types, such as open natural ecosystems, in supporting biodiversity and species conservation, with findings debunking the long-held assumption that only intensively managed protected areas have the capacity to aid and further the conservation of terrestrial biodiversity. Adding to this narrative is a new study from a semi-arid, open-canopy human-use landscape in Koppal district in North Karnataka, which finds that such ecosystems, even with intermittent human use, can provide habitats for globally threatened species and support their conservation.

Researchers used key informant interviews with pastoralists and a single-season, single-species occupancy modelling framework to examine the distribution of three species: striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), and blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra). The study revealed that hyena, sloth bear and blackbuck occupied 52%, 26% and 63% of the landscape, respectively. Indian gray wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) was found in at least 76% of the landscape.

“These landscapes in the Deccan Peninsula, with very few protected areas, are seen merely as agricultural landscapes both in the public imagination and in policies. But we found pockets of natural habitats, which we have called refugia in the paper, surrounded by agriculture that wildlife frequents. These are shared landscapes; these refugia are the reason that animals can partition spatially and temporally from humans,” says lead author of the study, Iravatee Majgaonkar.

The study refers to “hallas” as one such refugium potentially supporting blackbuck populations in the district, despite intermittent human activity. Hallas are alluvial streams, part of the dendritic water drainage pattern in this region, which dry post-monsoon. Similarly, rocky outcrops surrounded by agricultural farms are another refugium supporting megafauna such as bears and leopards, as well as smaller carnivores, says Majgaonkar.

If these refugia vanish and the landscape undergoes conversion, Majgaonkar does not rule out the possibility of human–animal conflicts increasing. Another crucial aspect that supports conservation in these multi-use landscapes, she says, is the livelihood opportunities they provide pastoral communities. “People may get displaced, they may have to travel further with their livestock. There are also people who have quit these livelihoods because these areas have now reduced in size,” she adds.

The study challenges the narrative that semi-arid open ecosystems are “wastelands” by highlighting the conservation potential of agro-pastoral landscapes. Misclassification of biodiversity-rich landscapes can lead to their mismanagement, affecting the land-sharing and coexistence potential of these regions, as well as the survival of many species.

Banner image: A striped hyena at a rocky outcrop. Image by Indrajeet Ghorpade.

Microplastics have been found in three lakes in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, with concentrations increasing in more urbanised areas, a new study has found. High altitude lakes are especially vulnerable to the accumulation of microplastics because they react quickly to changes in the watershed.

Three high altitude lakes in Kumaon were chosen for the study – Nainital lake, Garudtal lake, and Bhimtal lake. The researchers looked not only at levels of pollution in the lakes, but also whether land use types had a role to play. Of the three, Garudtal was the most remote, with no permanent residential areas around the lake. By contrast, Nainital had a watershed population of 26,859 people, and Bhimtal 8,413 people.

A total of 24 samples were collected across all three lakes, which were filtered using a 90 micrometre sieve. The extent of microplastic pollution was characterised using three parameters: Contamination Factor (CF), which quantifies the level of contamination associated with each polymer, Pollution Load Index (PLI), which provides an integrated measure of microplastic pollution loads across all sampling sites, and Polymer Hazard Index (PHI), which assesses the potential ecological impacts of microplastic pollution based on each polymer abundance and its hazard score.

Concentrations ranged from 200 to 1,300 items per metre cubed in Nainital Lake, 60 to 960 items per metre cubed in Bhimtal Lake, and 40 to 320 items per metre cubed in Garudtal lake. The “result reveals that the microplastic concentration of these lakes varies from each other mainly due to the population density (residential area) and anthropogenic activities (number of tourists visiting the lake, boating, and roads),” the study says.

An overwhelming majority of microplastics found were fibres, which “have demonstrated an increased impact on biota when they are ingested compared to other plastic shapes,” it adds. Some fibres may have come from the washing of synthetic textiles, which can release up to 700,000 fibres into water bodies. Other sources, particularly around the sparsely populated Garudtal lake, could have come from tire and road wear particles which leaked into the lake.

The hazard level of the lakes as per the PLI indicated a preliminary level of contamination. However, PHI values exceed 1,000 in most samples, indicating a severe risk of ecological harm due to the high concentration of polyester fibres in the samples.

“Including microplastic monitoring into national environmental programs, such as the National Plan for Plastic Waste Management and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) could strengthen India’s effort to mitigation strategies in the Himalayan region,” says the study.

Banner image: Nainital lake. Image by Neharajpoot via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Climate change added an average of 30 extra days of harmful heat annually to India’s coffee-growing regions between 2021 and 2025, according to new data from Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report on climate change and its impacts.

India recorded about 118 days per year (between 2021 and 2025) above 30°C, the temperature threshold beyond which the heat harms the coffee plants. Roughly 30 of those days were driven by climate change, the analysis shows. It arrived at this by modelling the number of days each year that would have recorded maximum temperatures below 30°C in a world without carbon pollution but were pushed over the threshold due to carbon pollution, representing the coffee-harming days attributable to climate change. 

India accounts for 3.5% of global coffee production. State-level data highlights the impacts in key coffee regions of the country. Kerala experienced an annual average of 65 additional extreme-heat days linked to climate change. Tamil Nadu saw 43 extra days each year, while Karnataka, India’s largest coffee-producing state, recorded 32 additional harmful-heat days annually. Parts of the northeast also showed rising heat stress, with Tripura recording 47 extra days and Telangana 44.

Temperatures above 30°C reduce yields, affect bean quality and increase plant stress, particularly for arabica coffee, which is more heat-sensitive than robusta. India grows both varieties, though primarily robusta, largely across the Western Ghats.

Farmers say these changes are already visible. Sohan Shetty, who manages biodiversity-rich shaded organic coffee farms in the Western Ghats, said, “We are seeing two significant changes: increased temperatures and erratic rainfall. We see a reduction in soil moisture, even in shade grown coffee. This creates stress for coffee plants, which in turn triggers blossoms with erratic rains. So, it’s quite common to see planters halting harvesting because a part of their plants has blossomed. We have had our coffee fruit drying up in the plants faster because of increased temperatures.”

In Kodagu, Karnataka, growers are tracking the shifts closely. Akshay Dashrath, Co-Founder and Grower at the South India Coffee Company, said, “At Mooleh Manay, our farm, climate change isn’t something we’re predicting, it’s something we’re measuring every day. Our on-ground sensors show longer stretches of high daytime temperatures, warmer nights, and faster soil moisture loss than what coffee here has historically depended on.”

The India findings reflect a broader global pattern. Climate Central analysed temperature data from 2021 to 2025 across 25 major coffee-producing countries, which together account for 97% of global production. All 25 experienced additional days of coffee-harming heat because of climate change. On average, countries saw about 47 extra harmful-heat days annually. The top five producers — Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia — experienced an average of 57 additional harmful-heat days per year. 

Researchers warn that rising heat, shifting rainfall and shrinking suitable land could reshape coffee cultivation in the coming decades.

Banner image: Coffee plant in Tamil Nadu. Image by Mirthyu via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Two new-to-science ant species have been identified from Andhra Pradesh in the Eastern Ghats. Belonging to the genus Aenictus, they are false army ants. That may sound like an insult, but this genus is called false army ants because of their size — smaller than true army ants while behaving like one. They move their nests frequently, forage collectively and in coordinated groups.

“Aenictus is a large genus with more than 200 species recorded globally. In India, we previously knew of around 38 species, and with the addition of these two new ones, that number stands at 40,” says Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), who is part of the study.

The study, published in Asian Myrmecology, introduces Aenictus chittoorensis sp. nov. (from the A. philippinensis group) and A. lankamallensis sp. nov. (from the A. javanus group), based on worker caste specimens collected via aspirator in wildlife sanctuaries. Both specimens were collected from protected areas in Andhra Pradesh — one from the Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary and the other from the Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary. One of the new species has been named after the sanctuary where it was found, while the second has been named after the Chittoor district, where the Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuary is located, according to lead author Bikash Sahoo, a PhD scholar at School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research.

These ants are top predators, ecologically equivalent to large predators such as tigers and lions in forest food webs, Sahoo explains. Predatory ants play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. “At a time when forests are declining day by day, the discovery of new species highlights how much biodiversity still remains undocumented and reinforces the importance of conservation,” he adds.

One more significance of the study lies in its location, the Eastern Ghats, one of the least-studied geographic regions for endemism. Sahoo says he previously studied ants in Western Ghats, discovering two species, one from Kerala and another from Karnataka.

Historically, biodiversity hotspots such as the Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Western Himalayas have received more scientific attention. In contrast, regions like the Eastern Ghats, the Gangetic Plains, and states such as Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat remain comparatively under-surveyed. “The findings highlight a significant gap in biodiversity inventories. If new species are still being discovered among ants, a well-studied group, it suggests that many more species across other taxa remain undocumented,” Dharma Rajan says.

Banner image: Aenictus chittoorensis, one of the two new-to-science ant species discovered from the Eastern Ghats. Image by Bikash Sahoo.

On February 6, the U.S. and India announced that they have reached a framework for an interim reciprocal trade agreement which lists tariff reductions on several products traded between the two countries. However, the announcement has raised concern among farmer groups and food security activists over potential increases in agricultural imports, including genetically modified (GM) grain.

The India-U.S. joint statement says, “India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all U.S. industrial goods and a wide range of U.S. food and agricultural products, including dried distillers’ grains (DDGs), red sorghum for animal feed, tree nuts, fresh and processed fruit, soybean oil, wine and spirits, and additional products.” India has also agreed to address long-standing non-tariff barriers affecting U.S. food and agricultural exports, the statement says. The interim agreement serves as a stepping stone to a more comprehensive bilateral trade agreement between the two countries.

Raising concerns over the tariff concessions on U.S. agricultural products, farmer organisations have called for nationwide protests on February 12.

In a statement released on February 7, ASHA-Kisan Swaraj, a farmer network, said removal of tariffs on a wide range of agricultural imports could depress domestic prices, affect farmers and horticulturists, distort feed and livestock markets, and increase dependence on imports.

The group said imports of DDGs and red sorghum could affect farmers growing maize, jowar, and soybean used in fodder and animal feed. It also raised concerns over soybean oil imports, particularly at a time when soybean farmers are reporting distress in Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

The network also raised concerns about potential imports of GM food and feed products under the trade framework, particularly soybean oil and DDGs, which will mostly come from GM maize.

Under current regulations, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requires imported food products linked to 24 notified crops to carry a non-GM origin and GM-free certificate. The order, released in 2020, includes maize, soybean, wheat, and a few others.

In the interim agreement, the U.S. will apply a reciprocal tariff of 18% on products like textile and apparel, leather and footwear, plastic and rubber, organic chemicals, home décor, artisanal products, and certain machinery. It has also agreed to remove tariffs on certain aircraft and aircraft parts. Besides, both countries have agreed to establish rules of origin to ensure that the agreement’s benefits predominantly flow to the United States and India.

The joint statement adds that India intends to purchase $500 billion worth of U.S. energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next five years.

Banner image: Farmers protest at a Delhi border in 2020. Image by Randeep Maddoke via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).