https://india.mongabay.com/list/animals/ India's environmental science and conservation news Mon, 18 May 2026 12:40:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/?noamp=mobile#respond 14 May 2026 15:04:13 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=38180 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/rare-peacock-tarantula-gets-dedicated-conservation-survey/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/?noamp=mobile#respond 04 May 2026 14:19:02 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38007 - Challenging the notion that the species is predominantly herbivorous, the study found that it also eats insects ahead of the breeding season when food resources are scarce.
- The lizard however faces threats from hunting, habitat fragmentation and changes in land use from agricultural expansion in the Thar region.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/?noamp=mobile#respond 29 Apr 2026 15:26:33 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37911 - Carnivores, elephants, and pangolins are among the most trafficked species.
- Researchers call for greater regional cooperation, supply chain mapping using spatial technology, and the adoption of a One Health approach to address zoonotic disease risks.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/rising-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-the-himalayan-countries-threatens-the-mountain-ecosystem/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/small-creatures-big-adaptations/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/small-creatures-big-adaptations/?noamp=mobile#respond 22 Apr 2026 15:31:13 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=37744 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/small-creatures-big-adaptations/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/ecological-debate-over-iron-ore-halts-mining-bid-in-tiger-landscape/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/ecological-debate-over-iron-ore-halts-mining-bid-in-tiger-landscape/?noamp=mobile#respond 15 Apr 2026 11:35:38 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37700 - The proposed site lies within a critical wildlife corridor and could disrupt tiger dispersal in a region already witnessing a rise in human-tiger interactions.
- Environmentalists argue the project’s ecological and social costs far outweigh its limited economic benefits, with minimal job creation and inadequate compensatory afforestation.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/04/ecological-debate-over-iron-ore-halts-mining-bid-in-tiger-landscape/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/an-exhibition-traces-food-environment-and-livelihoods-through-art/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/an-exhibition-traces-food-environment-and-livelihoods-through-art/?noamp=mobile#respond 10 Mar 2026 15:49:22 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37216 - In a recent art exhibit, the artists traced informal dairy economies in Uttar Pradesh, shifting horticultural seasons in Ladakh, and changing land use patterns in Gujarat’s Gir.
- They used various media to spark deeper conversations about the journey of food in a changing environment and landscapes.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/an-exhibition-traces-food-environment-and-livelihoods-through-art/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/the-worlds-longest-venomous-snake/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/the-worlds-longest-venomous-snake/?noamp=mobile#respond 03 Mar 2026 10:48:19 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=37030 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/the-worlds-longest-venomous-snake/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-wild-poop-can-teach-children-about-ecology-book-review/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-wild-poop-can-teach-children-about-ecology-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond 25 Feb 2026 16:20:55 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=37033 - The invisible DNA inside animal droppings tells the story of how animals live, think, feel, migrate, communicate and evolve.
- It focuses on India’s animals and ecology researchers working on excreta of wild animals.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-wild-poop-can-teach-children-about-ecology-book-review/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-are-colour-aberrations-in-mammals-explainer/ https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-are-colour-aberrations-in-mammals-explainer/?noamp=mobile#respond 19 Feb 2026 12:28:00 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36959 - Over a century, between 1886 and 2017, 239 cases of colour aberrations have been recorded in 56 of the 420 mammalian species in India.
- Animals affected by colour aberration can have a wide range of impacts, from severe physiological impairments to minimal changes in their daily survival.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-are-colour-aberrations-in-mammals-explainer/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/scientists-describe-a-new-species-of-burrowing-shieldtail-snake/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/scientists-describe-a-new-species-of-burrowing-shieldtail-snake/?noamp=mobile#respond 09 Dec 2025 12:01:25 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35954 - Studies show that shieldtails, which live underground and have highly specialised traits, are particularly vulnerable to environmental and climate change.
- Shieldtail snakes outside protected, high-elevation forests indicate that more unrecorded shieldtail species could be present in unprotected areas, which need improved protection.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/scientists-describe-a-new-species-of-burrowing-shieldtail-snake/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/the-bull-lady-of-kathasamipalayam-dies-at-59-obituary/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/the-bull-lady-of-kathasamipalayam-dies-at-59-obituary/?noamp=mobile#respond 08 Dec 2025 15:17:39 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=35943 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/the-bull-lady-of-kathasamipalayam-dies-at-59-obituary/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/how-agroforests-of-western-ghats-support-dhole-populations/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/how-agroforests-of-western-ghats-support-dhole-populations/?noamp=mobile#respond 07 Nov 2025 16:41:51 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=35452 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/11/how-agroforests-of-western-ghats-support-dhole-populations/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/global-biodiversity-assessment-counters-supreme-courts-clean-chit-to-vantara/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/global-biodiversity-assessment-counters-supreme-courts-clean-chit-to-vantara/?noamp=mobile#respond 05 Nov 2025 16:06:37 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35354 - The new CITES report flags problems with India’s due diligence, contrasting the conclusions of an earlier Supreme Court judgement which deemed all of Vantara’s animal imports fully compliant with Indian and international law.
- CITES has urged India to reform its import vetting process, suspend certain species imports, strengthen its Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and coordinate with exporting nations to verify the legality of past trades.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/global-biodiversity-assessment-counters-supreme-courts-clean-chit-to-vantara/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/rare-dhole-sighting-a-reminder-of-unexpected-biodiversity-in-punes-landscapes/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/rare-dhole-sighting-a-reminder-of-unexpected-biodiversity-in-punes-landscapes/?noamp=mobile#respond 22 Sep 2025 10:31:49 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=34713 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/rare-dhole-sighting-a-reminder-of-unexpected-biodiversity-in-punes-landscapes/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/elusive-eurasian-otter-spotted-in-goa-for-the-first-time/ https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/elusive-eurasian-otter-spotted-in-goa-for-the-first-time/?noamp=mobile#respond 18 Sep 2025 13:19:39 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&p=34668 Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/09/elusive-eurasian-otter-spotted-in-goa-for-the-first-time/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/blackbucks-thrive-outside-a-fragmented-protected-reserve/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/blackbucks-thrive-outside-a-fragmented-protected-reserve/?noamp=mobile#respond 03 Sep 2025 13:55:24 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34432 - Blackbucks thrive in savannah grasslands but the highest land cover inside the reserve is scrubs, followed by trees. The lack of focus on conserving savannah grasslands could be impacting blackbucks.
- Study authors recommend thinning out the eucalyptus tree cover inside the reserve to let the grasslands flourish and potential eco-tourism ventures to protect the species.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/blackbucks-thrive-outside-a-fragmented-protected-reserve/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/street-dogs-in-the-spotlight-as-rabies-eradication-deadline-comes-closer/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/street-dogs-in-the-spotlight-as-rabies-eradication-deadline-comes-closer/?noamp=mobile#respond 02 Sep 2025 16:55:03 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34443 - Despite 25 years of Animal Birth Control Rules and recent revisions in 2023, India still faces rising stray dog numbers and several cases of dog bites and rabies deaths annually.
- With five years to go for India’s commitment to eliminate dog-mediated rabies, experts stress the need for systematic planning, large-scale vaccination, and stronger municipal capacity beyond sterilisation drives.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/street-dogs-in-the-spotlight-as-rabies-eradication-deadline-comes-closer/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/?noamp=mobile#respond 02 Sep 2025 11:20:46 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34423 - Reptiles and amphibians make up the highest mortalities. Installing piped culverts and building bio-fences along roads could help mitigate impacts on these groups to a certain degree.
- Experts say understanding animal behaviour is a key aspect of constructing crossing structures at the right place.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/roadkill-study-demonstrates-urgent-necessity-for-safeguards/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/?noamp=mobile#respond 04 Aug 2025 13:01:21 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33928 - The sighting has drawn attention to the region’s dryland habitats, where caracals have historically occurred but are rarely documented.
- Experts warn that habitat degradation and lack of protection continue to threaten dryland wildlife. They call for restoration, improved monitoring, and conservation strategies focused on native species.
]]> Mongabay]]> https://india.mongabay.com/2025/08/caracal-sighting-offers-a-clue-not-a-sign-of-recovery-say-conservation-biologists/feed/ 0 https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/growing-pains-accompanied-by-a-growing-love-of-the-wild-book-review/ https://india.mongabay.com/2025/07/growing-pains-accompanied-by-a-growing-love-of-the-wild-book-review/?noamp=mobile#respond 22 Jul 2025 10:42:07 +0000 https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33702 - With excellent photographs and beautiful hand-drawn illustrations, the book covers both the thrill of seeing your first wild creature to the deeper and complex issues of human-wildlife coexistence.
- The book is a great introduction for young readers, especially those living in cities, to the wildlife and ecology of India.
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