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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/endemic-species/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:41:31 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>Disappearing grasslands impact bird populations, study finds</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Aug 2026 16:37:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland ecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiri pipit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nilgiris]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/14123726/Nilgiri_Pipit_Anthus_nilghiriensis_from_Anaimalai_hills_IMG_2145-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Biosphere reserves, Birds, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, Shola-grasslands, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Up in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, the gradual disappearance of the region’s shola grasslands has changed how birds navigate the landscape, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity in preserving endemic biodiversity. The shola sky islands are unique montane forests separated by rolling grasslands. They’re biologically significant because they host a large number species whose global distributions are concentrated here. But changes in land use dynamics have caused a steady decline in the populations of certain birds in the region. Colonial-era plantations of exotic tree species like Acacia, Eucalyptus and Pinus, which are not native to this region, have invaded several parts of the sky islands. Between 1973 and 2017, the islands lost 516 sq km of grasslands and 63 sq km of forests. These diminished habitats have also exposed the limits of adaptability for birds. “Highlighting how land-use change shapes species’ connectivity provides a window into how species specialised to high-elevation grassland habitat types respond to habitat alterations,” said Chiti Arvind, Postdoctoral Fellow, IISER Tirupati and a co-author of a research paper studying the impacts of land use change in the shola sky islands on bird movements. Shola forests and grasslands in the Nilgiris. Image by Davidvraju via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Gains and losses The study covered approximately 2,900 sq km across the two largest sky islands — in the Nilgiris and Palani-Anamalais — at elevations higher than 1400 metres above sea level. The objective was to observe how habitat fragmentation impacted the movements of the seven most&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why Western Ghats states can’t agree on Eco-Sensitive Areas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-western-ghats-states-cant-agree-on-eco-sensitive-areas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-western-ghats-states-cant-agree-on-eco-sensitive-areas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Aug 2026 19:06:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Simrinsirur]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karnataka]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Western Ghats]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/10180504/View_of_Western_ghats_from_Rajmachi_point_Khandala_on_the_Mumbai-Pune_expressway-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40014</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Cities and Towns, Conservation, Deforestation, Endemic species, Environment, Forests, Habitat Fragmentation, Shola-grasslands, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On July 27, the Union Environment Ministry issued the seventh draft notification delineating the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) falling within the Western Ghats. The ESA restricts activity within the Western Ghats to preserve its biodiversity and geological integrity in the face of rising human activity. But even as experts argue the urgent need to finally [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On July 27, the Union Environment Ministry issued the seventh draft notification delineating the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) falling within the Western Ghats. The ESA restricts activity within the Western Ghats to preserve its biodiversity and geological integrity in the face of rising human activity. But even as experts argue the urgent need to finally notify the ESA, states have been unable to reach a consensus about which areas the notification should cover. The Western Ghats stretch from the Tapti river valley in the Gujarat-Maharashtra border down across 1,500 kilometres south to Kanyakumari, crossing Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu along the way. This region is considered one of the world&#8217;s eight &#8220;hottest&#8221; biodiversity hotspots, hosting more than 7,000 species of flora and fauna. It is also extremely landslide prone, necessitating “special measures of protection and mitigation,” the draft notification says. But since it was released, representatives from Kerala, Karnataka, and Goa have reportedly expressed apprehensions over the economic consequences of restricting economic activity within the ESA zones. The tenure of the expert committee formed to guide the ESA notification process has been extended to 2027, to help settle these issues and finalise the area. Why some states are unhappy The latest ESA draft notification covers 56,825 square kilometres, largely retaining the area of its predecessor. Apart from banning mining, sand mining, quarrying, thermal power plants, and red category industries, the notification restricts the construction of built up areas to 20,000 square metres, and townships to an area of 50&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/why-western-ghats-states-cant-agree-on-eco-sensitive-areas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>New-to-science catfish sheds light on west-flowing rivers of the Western Ghats</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 17:33:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lisann Dias]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bioindicators]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[river]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/18113811/Amblyceps-vayavy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, Fish, New species, Rivers, Western Ghats, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new species of freshwater catfish has been described from the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Goa. The species, Amblyceps vayavy, was formally described in the journal Zootaxa and is likely endemic to west-flowing rivers of the northern Western Ghats. Amblyceps is a genus of freshwater catfish with 24 identified species found in moderate [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new species of freshwater catfish has been described from the northern Western Ghats in Maharashtra and Goa. The species, Amblyceps vayavy, was formally described in the journal Zootaxa and is likely endemic to west-flowing rivers of the northern Western Ghats. Amblyceps is a genus of freshwater catfish with 24 identified species found in moderate to swift-flowing rivers in South and Southeast Asia. The only known congener, or closely related species, from the Western Ghats is A. accari, first described in 2016. The name vayavy (pronounced vah-yhav-yah) means ‘northwest’ in both Konkani and Marathi, derived from the species’ distribution in the northern Western Ghats. The first reports emerged in 2020, when a Mumbai-based citizen scientist, Neil Soares, found an Amblyceps specimen in the Kundalika River in Kolad, Maharashtra. It was previously unrecorded in the region, as the distribution of A. accari is restricted to the central Western Ghats. Balaji Vijaykrishnan, the lead author of the study and an independent researcher, said, “This genus was initially thought to be restricted to the northern parts of India. The discovery of A. accari in 2016 and A. crassioris in 2023 from the Western and Eastern Ghats, respectively, revealed that the genus is also present in both the south-western and eastern parts of the country. Amblyceps vayavy is the second species (of this genus) known from the Western Ghats.” Over five years, between 2020 and 2025, the team, which included Vijaykrishnan along with researchers Tejas Thackeray and Abhishek Shirke of the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/new-to-science-catfish-sheds-light-on-west-flowing-rivers-of-the-western-ghats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Spiny-tailed lizards add insects to the menu</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 May 2026 14:19:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shweta Yogi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breeding grounds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lizard]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/04111514/1-scaled-e1777873593907-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Thar Desert]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, Habitat Fragmentation, Reptiles, Thar Desert, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In India’s harsh desert landscapes, a lizard isn’t just eating what’s available but precisely selecting nutrients, fine-tuning its diet to meet the changing demands of reproduction, growth and survival across seasons. While nutritional adaptations are well documented in tropical and marine ecosystems, far less is known about how animals in arid habitats cope with extreme [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In India’s harsh desert landscapes, a lizard isn’t just eating what’s available but precisely selecting nutrients, fine-tuning its diet to meet the changing demands of reproduction, growth and survival across seasons. While nutritional adaptations are well documented in tropical and marine ecosystems, far less is known about how animals in arid habitats cope with extreme temperatures and limited food availability. A recent study published in Royal Society Open Science examines seasonal shifts in the intake and retention of macronutrients in the spiny-tailed lizard, Saara hardwickii, in the Thar Desert. The study was conducted in Jorbeer-Gadhwala Conservation Reserve, a landscape of sandy plains where plant availability fluctuates through the year. S. hardwickii, a typically herbivorous species, was also found to consume insects during the breeding period, highlighting how seasonal changes and physiological needs shape its foraging behaviour. Dietary adaptations of spiny-tailed lizards S. hardwickii inhabits the Thar Desert of northwestern India, as well as parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Although the lizard is endemic and largely restricted to the Thar and Kutch regions, it is found in high abundance there, suggesting specialised adaptations that enable it to thrive in these harsh environments,” explains Mihir Joshi, the study’s corresponding author. These adaptations are closely tied to biological processes, including growth, reproduction, and hibernation, which shape the species’ nutritional needs and metabolic activity. The intake and retention of macronutrients are critical for meeting changing nutritional needs and for coping with seasonal fluctuations. The Thar desert, the habitat of the spiny-tailed lizard, experiences extreme&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/spiny-tailed-lizards-add-insects-to-the-menu/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>What traditional Marathi literature reveals about savannahs</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Feb 2026 14:12:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Renuka Kulkarni]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marathi literature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savanna]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savannahs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/03140621/%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B3_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B2_%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B3%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97_%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B3%E0%A5%87_Small_water_pond_in_grasslandLaling_Dhule-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Deforestation, Ecology, Endemic species, Forests, Grasslands, Indigenous Peoples, Plantations, Plants, Trees, and Tribes]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[It might have been just another coffee session between two researchers catching up on their work, but when Ashish Nerlekar noticed the mention of savannah specialist trees in Digvijay Patil&#8217;s historical references, the duo realised they were onto something new. “Digvijay’s research focuses on people’s perceptions of natural environments, and he was showing me some [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[It might have been just another coffee session between two researchers catching up on their work, but when Ashish Nerlekar noticed the mention of savannah specialist trees in Digvijay Patil&#8217;s historical references, the duo realised they were onto something new. “Digvijay’s research focuses on people’s perceptions of natural environments, and he was showing me some of his references from the western Maharashtra region, when I noticed savannah-specialist or indicator trees in them. That led us to systematically study traditional literature to understand the ecological history of savannahs,” says Nerlekar, Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University, USA. Patil is a PhD student in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department at the Indian Institute of Science Education Research, Pune. Over the next two years, they scoured through narrative poems, religious texts, myths, field notes, biographical and hagiographical accounts in the Marathi language, published between the 13th and 20th centuries C.E. They found several savannah-specific landscape descriptions and mentions of flora and fauna in oral and literary references. These findings refute the popular claim that tropical savannahs are a result of anthropogenic deforestation. The study, published in People and Nature has garnered wide attention and raised significant interest in unearthing the history of India&#8217;s savannahs. &#8220;While previous scientific research establishes the antiquity of Asian savannahs, and researchers have long been telling the general public and policymakers that these ecosystems are ancient, the misconception continues to prevail,” Nerlekar explains. Apart from providing an appropriate window into an ecosystem’s past, traditional literature also enables spreading&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/what-traditional-marathi-literature-reveals-about-savannahs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Development projects in small and micro islands need careful planning [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Feb 2026 12:52:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[R.J. Ranjit Daniels]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[invasive species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable development]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/02/02105926/Female_croc-e1770010218915-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Ecology, Endemic species, Evolution, Islands, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Charles Darwin may have been the first to observe and document evolutionary changes in island species and ecosystems. Evolutionary changes involve shifts in size, behaviour, reproduction, and physiology, driven by unique island factors such as fewer predators, limited resources and reduced competition. According to Darwin, in any small isolated area, such as an oceanic island, the total number of species inhabiting it will be small. Yet, of these, a large proportion will be endemic. Predictable evolutionary changes are more often seen in island species than in their mainland relatives. This phenomenon is called ‘island syndrome’. Adaptive radiation (a process through which organisms adapt and evolve) in islands far exceeds the mainland. Competition is less severe. Evolutionary innovation is lower. Vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Similarly, the size of islands constrains ecosystem development. Ecosystems are shaped by competition among member species for limiting resources — resources needed to grow, survive and reproduce. Competition leads to interdependence which in turn affects productivity. Since size determines the number of species that inhabit an island, it also limits competition, interdependence and productivity (amount of carbon fixed and stored in the form of biomass). A Nicobar pigeon. In an oceanic island, the number of species inhabiting it will be small, but largely endemic. Competition among them for resources is low, evolutionary innovation is low, meaning vulnerability to species invasions is much higher. Image by DickDaniels via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Size and ecosystem development The size of an isolated island is the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/02/development-projects-in-small-and-micro-islands-needs-careful-planning-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A stairway from the ocean to the skies [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/a-stairway-from-the-ocean-to-the-skies-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/a-stairway-from-the-ocean-to-the-skies-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Oct 2025 09:30:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[C.P. Rajendran]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/28215049/IMG_7878-scaled-e1761668490272-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, Mountains, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri or &#8220;benevolent mountains,&#8221; form a majestic 1,600-kilometre-long chain running parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. This UNESCO World Heritage site spans six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu — and is celebrated as one of the world&#8217;s most biodiverse regions. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri or &#8220;benevolent mountains,&#8221; form a majestic 1,600-kilometre-long chain running parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula. This UNESCO World Heritage site spans six states — Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu — and is celebrated as one of the world&#8217;s most biodiverse regions. The astonishing array of ecosystems, ranging from tropical rainforests and high-altitude shola grasslands to countless waterfalls and serene rivers, solidifies its status as a global biodiversity hotspot. The range earned the name &#8216;Ghats&#8217;, meaning &#8216;stairway&#8217; or ‘steps’, from its distinct step-like morphology, which can be broadly categorised into three altitudinal zones: the Highlands, Midlands, and Lowlands. Each zone is defined by its elevation, slope, and unique ecological characteristics. The Highland zone consists of high-altitude peaks and plateaus. It receives the highest rainfall and is characterised by shola grasslands and dense evergreen forests. The Midlands is a transition zone featuring lower-lying hills and forested slopes, marking a shift between the high elevations and the plains. The Lowlands comprise the lowest elevations and includes valleys and gentler slopes that gradually lead toward the coastal plains or the Deccan Plateau in its central parts. How does this mountainous terrain paralleling the west coast of India come into existence? Are they true mountains, comparable to the Himalayas or the Alps? Mountains like the Himalayas or the Alps are formed at the advancing edges of tectonic plates through the initial stage of subduction and the later stage of collisions. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/a-stairway-from-the-ocean-to-the-skies-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>On the trail of a lost relic [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/on-the-trail-of-a-lost-relic-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/on-the-trail-of-a-lost-relic-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Sep 2025 13:06:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahanashree Ramakrishnaiah]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/09/02171358/IMG20220424090851-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34419</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endemic species and Insects]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As entomologists, we spend countless hours in the field, meticulously observing and collecting data on insects. Yet, every so often, nature rewards our patience with some unexpected discovery, one that offers a rare glimpse into its hidden secrets. An expedition to Siang Valley did just that – it led to the rediscovery of a long-lost [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As entomologists, we spend countless hours in the field, meticulously observing and collecting data on insects. Yet, every so often, nature rewards our patience with some unexpected discovery, one that offers a rare glimpse into its hidden secrets. An expedition to Siang Valley did just that – it led to the rediscovery of a long-lost velvet worm (Onychophora) after more than a century. Nestled within the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, Arunachal Pradesh&#8217;s Siang Valley showcases an unparalleled wealth of diversity. The valley’s lush greenery is home to elusive wildlife and countless insects, while the rhythmic sounds of the forest and the river’s roar create an enchanting symphony. Indigenous communities have coexisted with this wilderness for centuries, adding cultural depth to its ecological richness. A place of raw beauty and scientific wonder, Siang Valley remains one of India’s great frontiers, where nature’s secrets are still waiting to be unveiled. The early ‘Abor Expedition’ to the Siang Valley, in 1911–1912, during the period of colonial rule, was originally a punitive military campaign, launched by the British in response to the killing of Noel Williamson, a British political officer, by the indigenous people there. This resulted in the Anglo-Abor Wars (1911-1912), a series of conflicts between the Adi tribes and the British forces. Recognising the valley&#8217;s untapped ecological wealth, a scientific expedition was launched alongside military operations to systematically document the Siang Valley&#8217;s natural history and geographical features. This expedition resulted in the collection of numerous biological specimens, including the first recorded specimen of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/09/on-the-trail-of-a-lost-relic-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Bare-bellied and barely seen, Madras hedgehog needs a headcount</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/bare-bellied-and-barely-seen-madras-hedgehog-needs-a-headcount/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/bare-bellied-and-barely-seen-madras-hedgehog-needs-a-headcount/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Feb 2025 11:57:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Endangered species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Habitat fragmentation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hunting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[land use]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/18125939/IMG_20240818_204130-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31535</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endemic species, Grasslands, Habitat Loss, and Pet Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[There&#8217;s more to hedgehogs than being vibrant croquet balls in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and their adorable acts in certain Hollywood animated movies. Hedgehogs play important roles in the ecosystem with their distinct ecology, dietary habits, and behaviour; they&#8217;re considered ecological indicators. They feed on soil invertebrates, so a significant decline in hedgehogs implies the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[There&#8217;s more to hedgehogs than being vibrant croquet balls in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and their adorable acts in certain Hollywood animated movies. Hedgehogs play important roles in the ecosystem with their distinct ecology, dietary habits, and behaviour; they&#8217;re considered ecological indicators. They feed on soil invertebrates, so a significant decline in hedgehogs implies the quality of the environment has greatly decreased. Their roles as both prey and predator are significant for the ecological balance of the arid dry regions in which they occur. Consider this: being an omnivore, they relish insects and can chomp down up to 40 insects in an hour. It is no surprise, then, that they are considered a farmer’s best friend, playing the part of a natural pest control with military precision. Despite their spiky exterior, they can satiate the hunger of grassland, scrubland, and desert predators such as the Indian fox, jackal, and mongoose. Little-known habitat specialists Characterised by the abundance of small spines covering their entire body, excluding the face, legs, and underbelly, as well as their pig-like snout, hedgehogs are classified under the order Eulipotyphla and family Erinaceidae, and are found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. There are three species of hedgehogs in India: the Indian long-eared or collared hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris); the Indian hedgehog (Paraechinus micropus); and the bare-bellied hedgehog, also known as the Madras hedgehog or South Indian hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventrus), explains ecologist Brawin Kumar, a long-term hedgehog researcher. The Indian hedgehog is known to occur in the Desert National Park&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/bare-bellied-and-barely-seen-madras-hedgehog-needs-a-headcount/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Meet DiCaprio&#8217;s Himalayan serpent</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/an-instagram-photo-led-researchers-to-a-snake-discovery/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/an-instagram-photo-led-researchers-to-a-snake-discovery/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2025 16:04:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Himalayas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reptiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Snakes]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/03113148/Banner-Image-of-the-new-snake-species-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30925</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himachal Pradesh and Himalayas]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endemic species, New species, Reptiles, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In June 2020, during the pandemic, Virender Bhardwaj, currently a doctoral student at Mizoram University, was exploring his backyard at his home in Himachal Pradesh in the western Himalayas, when he encountered an intriguing snake. He uploaded its photos on the social media app Instagram, and the images popped up on the feed of his [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In June 2020, during the pandemic, Virender Bhardwaj, currently a doctoral student at Mizoram University, was exploring his backyard at his home in Himachal Pradesh in the western Himalayas, when he encountered an intriguing snake. He uploaded its photos on the social media app Instagram, and the images popped up on the feed of his colleague, Zeeshan Mirza. This led to three years of detailed investigations to identify the snake. The team recently published a paper revealing the discovery of an entirely new snake genus and species. The snake resembled Liopeltis rappii, a species known to be distributed in the eastern Himalayas. However, the researchers noted that the population from Himachal Pradesh differed from the true Liopeltis rappii found in Sikkim with differences observed in the scales on the head and general colouration. The team confirmed this after examining specimens from natural history museums across Europe, the USA and India. After comparing the DNA sequences generated from this snake with those of known species from across Asia, the researchers concluded that the snake from Himachal Pradesh is related to Liopeltis rappii but differs in several aspects to be called a new species. Both species belong to a new genus, Anguiculus, endemic to the Himalayas. Anguiculus refers to a ‘small snake’ in Latin. In honour of American actor and environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio’s work in creating awareness about increased biodiversity loss and climate change, the team named the snake Anguiculus dicaprioi with the suggested common name, ‘DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake’. Compared to other members of its family,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/an-instagram-photo-led-researchers-to-a-snake-discovery/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Studies gain pace while the identity of Kashmir’s langurs remains gray</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/studies-gain-pace-while-the-identity-of-kashmirs-langurs-remains-gray/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/studies-gain-pace-while-the-identity-of-kashmirs-langurs-remains-gray/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Dec 2024 14:48:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Endangered species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Habitat fragmentation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Primates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/12/12204058/IMG_4574-scaled-e1734016839267-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30682</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endangered species, Endemic species, Habitat Fragmentation, Habitat Loss, Primates, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Kashmir gray langur is dealing with an identity crisis as Indian primate scientists are still looking for clear answers to looming questions — Is it truly a distinct species? How does it differ from the Himalayan langur that it is often confused with? Given the ongoing uncertainty about the taxonomy of the species, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Kashmir gray langur is dealing with an identity crisis as Indian primate scientists are still looking for clear answers to looming questions — Is it truly a distinct species? How does it differ from the Himalayan langur that it is often confused with? Given the ongoing uncertainty about the taxonomy of the species, the latest population estimate and the genetic study on the Kashmir gray langur (Semnopithecus ajax), that is endemic to the northwestern Himalayas, take on added significance. “Ambiguity around the taxonomy of this species has always existed. However, we disagree with the conclusion by Arekar et al., who suggest that the Kashmir gray langur is the same as the Himalayan langur. Their study relied on a single, small fragment of mitochondrial DNA, which isn’t sufficient to determine the taxonomy of a species,” explains Tawqir Bashir, an assistant professor at the Centre of Research for Development, University of Kashmir. Bashir co-authored recent papers on the population and genetic diversity of the Kashmir gray langur, published in 2024. Lead author of the papers, Shahid Hameed informs Mongabay India that the lack of understanding surrounding the species prompted him to take up the study. “The langur was first reported by Walter (Roper) Lawrence in his book Valley of Kashmir published in 1895. Even after a century, we don’t have enough data on the species,” he says. Its endemicity to the northwestern Himalayas and its endangered status assigned by the IUCN further encouraged him to turn the lens on the species.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/studies-gain-pace-while-the-identity-of-kashmirs-langurs-remains-gray/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The last feral horses of India</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/the-last-feral-horses-of-india/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/the-last-feral-horses-of-india/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2024 10:30:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[animal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[horse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national park]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/11/02114718/1000224347-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30110</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, and Endemic species]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic induced a country-wide lockdown, the Tinsukia Wildlife Division made a major breakthrough. Based on a tip-off, the forest officials apprehended a truck near Makum bypass in the Tinsukia district of Assam which, say the forest officials, was transporting six smuggled feral horses. “We caught four people, including [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic induced a country-wide lockdown, the Tinsukia Wildlife Division made a major breakthrough. Based on a tip-off, the forest officials apprehended a truck near Makum bypass in the Tinsukia district of Assam which, say the forest officials, was transporting six smuggled feral horses. “We caught four people, including two army personnel, with the consignment. Their papers (documents approving the transport of horses) were forged. We came to know that the kingpin of this smuggling ring was a high-ranking Indian military officer who gave riding lessons in Guwahati. The horses were procured from Dibru Saikhowa National Park and were kept in an under-construction hospital in Laupoti, Phulbari village in Tinsukia, before being sent off to Guwahati in the truck,” said a forest official on conditions of anonymity. The six horses were later released in Dibru Saikhowa National Park. Dibru Saikhowa was declared a reserve forest in 1890, and more than a century later, in 1999, it acquired the status of a National Park. Around 12 kilometres from the town of Tinsukia, Dibru Saikhowa National Park is bound by the mighty Brahmaputra and Siang rivers on the north, Lohit, Dibang and Noa Dihing rivers in the east and Dibru river in the south. With an area of 340 square kilometres, the national park is known for its impressive faunal diversity with rare and endangered mammals such as elephants, wild buffaloes, hoolock gibbons and Gangetic river dolphins. Feral horses, however, are one of the most prized&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/the-last-feral-horses-of-india/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] Kerala is a hotspot within a hotspot</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/commentary-kerala-is-a-hotspot-within-a-hotspot/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/commentary-kerala-is-a-hotspot-within-a-hotspot/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Sep 2024 11:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[R.J. Ranjit Daniels]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotspot]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/09/18024347/Monsoon_view_of_the_Sengottai_Gap_in_the_Western_Ghats-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29593</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Kerala, and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Endemic species, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats are among the earth’s oldest tropical hills. The 1,600km-long hill range is 50-100 million years older than the Himalayas. Renowned geologist B. P. Radhakrishna writes in a 1993 study, that a domal uplift and faulting created the hill range. There are topographic differences between the western and eastern aspects of the Western Ghats [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats are among the earth’s oldest tropical hills. The 1,600km-long hill range is 50-100 million years older than the Himalayas. Renowned geologist B. P. Radhakrishna writes in a 1993 study, that a domal uplift and faulting created the hill range. There are topographic differences between the western and eastern aspects of the Western Ghats which are the reasons for the unequal west-east distribution of rainfall. A fifteen-fold difference in annual rainfall between the driest and wettest spots in the Western Ghats, has been documented. The average annual rainfall is 2,500 mm in the narrow eco-region. However, what makes the Western Ghats states different from each other is the length of their dry season. In the regions closer to the equator, the dry season is shorter and farther north, it can be six or even nine months long, as that in northern Karnataka and Maharashtra. Western Ghats can thus be divided into two unequal segments; equatorial southern Western Ghats with two to five dry months and the monsoon-driven northern Western Ghats with six to nine dry months. The narrow zone of transition lies between Mangalore and Udupi in southwestern Karnataka. Rainfall patterns mainly drive the region&#8217;s biodiversity, endemism, and ecological fragility, with altitude playing a secondary role. While biodiversity and endemism can be easily assessed, measuring ecological fragility depends on factors such as soil, rocks, altitude, and slope, which change slowly, and biotic succession, which can occur rapidly due to human activities. The Western Ghats. Image by Mohammed Faizan via&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/09/commentary-kerala-is-a-hotspot-within-a-hotspot/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Himalayan pikas wait for weather cues to make winter plans</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/himalayan-pikas-wait-for-weather-cues-to-make-winter-plans/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/himalayan-pikas-wait-for-weather-cues-to-make-winter-plans/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Aug 2024 10:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pikas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/20171422/DSCN9637_Dhanesh-scaled-e1724154476961-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29091</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Biodiversity, Endemic species, Food, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[There is certainly more to pikas than meets the eye. To the untrained observer, they might appear as just another cute, fluffy creature scampering around Alpine terrains. However, these small mammals in the high mountains of the Himalayas play crucial roles in those ecosystems, such as supporting a diverse array of plant life. Associate professor [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[There is certainly more to pikas than meets the eye. To the untrained observer, they might appear as just another cute, fluffy creature scampering around Alpine terrains. However, these small mammals in the high mountains of the Himalayas play crucial roles in those ecosystems, such as supporting a diverse array of plant life. Associate professor Nandini Rajamani from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupati, who has studied these species extensively, likens pikas to “farmers.” She notes that a wide diversity of flora is often observed around pika colonies, likely due to their constant activities, such as digging and altering soil conditions, which promote the growth of various plants. Additionally, pikas, along with other small mammals like marmots and voles, serve as important prey for a range of predators, including raptors, small wild cats, and canids. The climate connection Climate change and increasing human activity are threatening the survival of many cold-adapted species, including pikas. Rajamani notes that glaciologists have observed rising glacier melt in the Himalayas, which has a cascading effect on local micro-ecosystems, many of which remain unassessed. For cold-adapted species such as pikas, survival depends not only on weather patterns but also on the overall environment, which must remain cold through features like glaciers and permafrost. “Nobody knows what will happen to animal populations dependent on cold environments; they might disappear if they cannot adapt to new conditions,” she says. She adds that some of her previous work indicates that pikas have been highly&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/himalayan-pikas-wait-for-weather-cues-to-make-winter-plans/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Wild edible plants enhance food security and climate resilience in Kashmir, finds study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/wild-edible-plants-enhance-food-security-and-climate-resilience-in-kashmir-finds-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/wild-edible-plants-enhance-food-security-and-climate-resilience-in-kashmir-finds-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Aug 2024 12:37:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sonam Lama Hyolmo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/07012615/51882106817_f9e290082c_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28904</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Endemic species, Food, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the western Himalayas of Kashmir, mountain communities are eating their way to preserving traditional knowledge. Local food advocates are trying to get more of the rich array of wild edible plant species, traditionally cultivated by communities from forests, such as gucchi mushrooms (Morchella esculenta), onto peoples’ plates. A new study published in Forest Policy and Economics [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the western Himalayas of Kashmir, mountain communities are eating their way to preserving traditional knowledge. Local food advocates are trying to get more of the rich array of wild edible plant species, traditionally cultivated by communities from forests, such as gucchi mushrooms (Morchella esculenta), onto peoples’ plates. A new study published in Forest Policy and Economics says the continued cultivation of these species opens the door to enhancing food security, building resiliency to climate change — and helps people not forget about them. In the last few decades, development projects and climate change hit hard the availability of wild food species and their cultivation, contributing to a loss of knowledge. To reverse this trend, community activists say everyone must continue foraging for them, growing them — and eating them. The authors documented 99 wild edible plant species and nine fungi species from 38 families used in the hearty meals and preparation of four ethnic groups; the Pahari, Gujjar, Kashmiri and Bakarwal. Among them, Pahari people used the highest number of wild plant species followed by Gujjar, Kashmiri and Bakarwal. The use of tender leaves for food and medicinal purposes was the most frequent overall, while the tubers were the least used. While there were similarities and differences in food species and dietary practices between the groups, intergenerational traditional knowledge gap between elders and the young was the major driving force for traditional knowledge loss among these communities. “The documentation which is first of its kind done from the perspective of food&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/wild-edible-plants-enhance-food-security-and-climate-resilience-in-kashmir-finds-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Explainer] How are species named?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/explainer-how-are-species-named/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/explainer-how-are-species-named/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>04 Jun 2024 14:20:16 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anusha Krishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taxonomy]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/06/04140759/night-frog-733x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=28032</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Endemic species, New species, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The science of biology would be nothing without names. One of the first steps in studies involving living organisms is taxonomy – the process of discovering an organism&#8217;s scientific name or naming it, if it is newly discovered. Without taxonomy, every subfield of biology would descend into chaos. Although several systems of taxonomy have been [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The science of biology would be nothing without names. One of the first steps in studies involving living organisms is taxonomy – the process of discovering an organism&#8217;s scientific name or naming it, if it is newly discovered. Without taxonomy, every subfield of biology would descend into chaos. Although several systems of taxonomy have been created and modified, the one that persists today, over 200 years after it was first developed, is Linnaeus&#8217; binomial system of nomenclature, developed by Carl Linnaeus, famous for his work in taxonomy or the science of identifying, naming and classifying organisms. This system standardises the naming of species to classify them according to their characteristics and relationships with each other and is the cornerstone of taxonomy. What is the binomial system of nomenclature? The binomial system of nomenclature is where names assigned to organisms use a combination of two Latin words – one denoting the genus and the other for the species, similar to the usage of a name and a surname to identify a person. In biological classification, genus refers to a group of organisms with similar characteristics which is composed of species, that refers to similar individuals that are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. “Taxonomy is critically important in helping [to] understand and conserve biodiversity. I like to think Linnaeus faced the first bioinformatics crisis: the problem of organising information about the increasing number of species that were being discovered in the eighteenth century, and he developed solutions using the best&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/06/explainer-how-are-species-named/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>With a new discovery, lizard studies get an edge</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/with-a-new-discovery-lizard-studies-gain-an-edge/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/with-a-new-discovery-lizard-studies-gain-an-edge/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Apr 2024 11:37:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kangaroo lizard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lizard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/04161934/DSC_2525-copy-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27213</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community based conservation, Conservation, Endemic species, New species, and Western Ghats]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In a stroke of serendipity, a team of researchers stumbled upon a new-to-science species of lizard while conducting a survey of the landscape for the habitat of another new discovery, Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, commonly known as the purple frog or the Mahabali frog. The frog which lives underground emerges only once annually. The diminutive lizard that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In a stroke of serendipity, a team of researchers stumbled upon a new-to-science species of lizard while conducting a survey of the landscape for the habitat of another new discovery, Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, commonly known as the purple frog or the Mahabali frog. The frog which lives underground emerges only once annually. The diminutive lizard that the researchers spotted measures approximately 3 to 4.5 cm from head to tail. It was crawling along the roadside near a stream in the Kulamavu area of Idukki district in 2014-2015. Agasthyagama edge is the new species of lizard in the genus Agasthyagama that was spotted in Kerala a decade ago. Photo by Sandeep Das. This new lizard species has been named Agasthyagama edge in honour of the Edge of Existence programme by the Zoological Society of London dedicated to conserving species that are evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) across various regions of the world. Furthermore, it provides support to conservation research projects led by early-career researchers in countries such as India through their Edge Fellowship programme, which benefited two members in this research group &#8212; Sandeep Das and Rajkumar K.P. A chance encounter Sandeep Das from the Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, recalls that initially, the team didn&#8217;t pay much attention to the lizard because it resembled Agasthyagama beddomii, also known as the northern kangaroo lizard, found in the Agasthyamalai range. “We recorded it but then forgot about it,” he says. It wasn&#8217;t until they decided to share the photos with their&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/with-a-new-discovery-lizard-studies-gain-an-edge/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>[Explainer] What are freshwater rock pools and who lives in them?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/explainer-what-are-freshwater-rock-pools-and-who-lives-in-them/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/explainer-what-are-freshwater-rock-pools-and-who-lives-in-them/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Dec 2023 14:15:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Geetha Iyer]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[freshwater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rockpools]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/12133017/freshwater-rock-pools-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25654</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment Explained]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Coast, Endemic species, Plants, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Temporary wetlands are small and shallow aquatic habitats that, more often than not, dry annually or periodically. The period or length of time water is present within them is referred to as hydroperiod. One such ephemeral wetland is the freshwater rock pool that is beginning to garner the attention of researchers and conservationists. Although freshwater [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Temporary wetlands are small and shallow aquatic habitats that, more often than not, dry annually or periodically. The period or length of time water is present within them is referred to as hydroperiod. One such ephemeral wetland is the freshwater rock pool that is beginning to garner the attention of researchers and conservationists. Although freshwater rock pools are more common on rocky outcrops, which are areas of land with visible exposed rocks, they can be observed in most rocky biomes. They originate as depressions formed as a result of weathering of the parent rocks which then fill with water. The most distinguishing factor of these pools is that they depend on precipitation for their existence. Because they are rain-dependent, they go through cyclic phases of wetness and dryness. They are not to be confused with rock quarry ponds or holes dug out of rocks in flood plains which are fed by groundwater, i.e., water that comes from rivers, streams, etc., and contain organisms brought in with the flow of water. Freshwater rock pools, being rain/precipitation-fed, are habitats for organisms uniquely adapted to their cyclic wet-dry conditions. They are also not to be confused with some of the rock pools one sees on the coasts. Some of the coastal pools found on rocky shores may be rain-fed but are also served by the water brought in by waves thus being a mix of freshwater and marine habitats. A rock pool in a granite outcrop in the Eastern Ghats. Photo by Mihir&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/explainer-what-are-freshwater-rock-pools-and-who-lives-in-them/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Grassland loss threatens endemic birds in Arunachal sanctuary</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/grassland-loss-threatens-endemic-birds-in-assam-sanctuary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/grassland-loss-threatens-endemic-birds-in-assam-sanctuary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>30 Nov 2023 14:23:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bikash Kumar BhattacharyaJyotirmoy Saharia]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grassland]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/11/30080853/Image-4-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25483</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Conservation, Endemic species, Grasslands, Wetlands, and Wildlife Sanctuary]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a humid, overcast afternoon in June, Namash Pasar spotted something adrift in the rising floodwaters while surveying deluge on the outskirts of Jonai town in upper Assam&#8217;s Dhemaji district. As it drew closer, he realised it was a live animal. Along with two other bystanders, he managed to rescue it from the waters that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a humid, overcast afternoon in June, Namash Pasar spotted something adrift in the rising floodwaters while surveying deluge on the outskirts of Jonai town in upper Assam&#8217;s Dhemaji district. As it drew closer, he realised it was a live animal. Along with two other bystanders, he managed to rescue it from the waters that were threatening to sweep it away. Pasar drove it to local forest officials to provide initial care and to aid its recovery and rehabilitation. It was later identified as a Bengal florican bird (Houbaropsis bengalensis) or as it is locally called, ulumora. “It was an adult ulumora desperately trying to stay afloat, presumably come from one of the chaporis (river islands) of the nearby Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Pasar, who is an office bearer of the Jonai sub-divisional unit of Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), a tribal student body and social organisation led by the Mising community. “The bird sustained injuries on its wings and legs. We carefully pulled it out of the water and promptly drove it to the forest office.” Bengal florican (male) in flight, at Manas National Park. Photo by Jyotirmay Baishya/Wikimedia Commons. Heavy spells of monsoon had arrived and by late June, waters of the surrounding rivers flooded the grassland habitats of the Bengal florican, a critically endangered bird according to the IUCN Red List data, with fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the wild. A refuge for endemics In Arunachal Pradesh, Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary is the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/11/grassland-loss-threatens-endemic-birds-in-assam-sanctuary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Book on endemic birds says three species almost extinct</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-on-endemic-birds-says-three-species-almost-extinct/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-on-endemic-birds-says-three-species-almost-extinct/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Oct 2023 10:35:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Birds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extinct]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global warming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[habitat loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[species]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/10/06193833/231-malabar-hornbill-1-scaled-e1696602543369-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=24775</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Birds, Climate Change, Endemic species, Extinction, Global Warming, Habitat Loss, and Impacts of Climate Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[India is home to 12.40% of the global bird diversity; 1,353 bird species out of 10,906 documented globally are from India. The country has 78 endemic bird species. Of the bird species existing in the country, 28 are found only in the Western Ghats, 25 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, four in the Eastern [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[India is home to 12.40% of the global bird diversity; 1,353 bird species out of 10,906 documented globally are from India. The country has 78 endemic bird species. Of the bird species existing in the country, 28 are found only in the Western Ghats, 25 in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, four in the Eastern Himalayas, and one each in the Southern Deccan Plateau and Central Indian Forest. This is some of the information in a new book, 75 Endemic Birds of India, by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). Authored by Dhriti Banerjee, Amitava Majumder and Anindya Naskar, the book commemorates 75 years of Indian independence. Speaking to Mongabay-India about the motivation behind bringing out a book on the endemic bird species of the country, Amitava Majumder said that despite the rich bird diversity, there is a scarcity of information about these birds and their habitats. The idea was to bring attention to these unique bird species to raise awareness and encourage conservation efforts, he said. Rock bush quail. India is home to 12.40% of the global bird diversity. Photo by Amitava Majumder. The book takes the readers on an exploration of India’s avifauna through engaging descriptions, magnificent visuals, and important ecological insights. It packs details, including the etymology of bird names and their historical relevance along with vital facts such as subspecies differences, distinguishing traits, preferred habitats, breeding habits and food preferences. The book also comes with maps indicating species distribution. The book also outlines the endemicity of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/10/book-on-endemic-birds-says-three-species-almost-extinct/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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