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	<channel>
		<title>Mongabay India</title>
		<atom:link href="https://india.mongabay.com/feed/?topic=endemic-species&#038;type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/endemic-species/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:23:08 +0000</lastBuildDate>
		<language>en-US</language>
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					<title>A native tarantula as a seasonal food</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Nov 2026 13:18:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sabir Nishat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Divya Kilikar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arachnids]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spiders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild foods]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/11/05130838/Live-view-of-spider-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=42065</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Ecology, Endemic species, Food, Forests, Indigenous Peoples, Natural Resources, Sustainability, Tribes, Villages, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the forest-fringe villages of Kamrup (rural) district, Assam, the emergence of a large, endemic tarantula signals the arrival of a seasonal food for the Rabha community. The Rabhas, also known as Ravas, are an Indigenous community that predominantly reside in Goalpara and Kamrup districts in western Assam, along with smaller settlements in other parts [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the forest-fringe villages of Kamrup (rural) district, Assam, the emergence of a large, endemic tarantula signals the arrival of a seasonal food for the Rabha community. The Rabhas, also known as Ravas, are an Indigenous community that predominantly reside in Goalpara and Kamrup districts in western Assam, along with smaller settlements in other parts of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal. A new study published in Proceedings of the Zoological Society documents the community&#8217;s consumption of the Indian black earth tiger spider (Lyrognathus crotalus). Locally known as bhaluk makara, it is collected from April to June every year, when they are observed by the Rabhas to be most abundant. Researchers Jyotiprakash Boro, Kuldeep Bora, Chandramita Boro and Samir Terdalkar conducted fieldwork between April and June 2025, interviewing 34 community members in and around Mouman village, including elders and spider collectors. Collecting spiders for a diverse diet The spiders are collected during three to four days a month during the pre-monsoon months and occasionally at other times of the year, depending on availability. A collection trip can yield about 20 to 30 spiders. The Indian black earth tiger spider is collected and consumed by the Rabha community during the pre-monsoon months, when they are considered abundant. Image by Prasanna Bonyabondhu. Collectors locate the spiders by finding their burrows in near forests, particularly those associated with sal (Shorea robusta) trees. They either carefully dig them out or insert a wooden stick into the burrow to encourage the spider to emerge. Taxonomic research&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/11/a-native-tarantula-as-a-seasonal-food/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Light may influence morning basking behaviour in captive gharials</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Oct 2026 13:15:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lekha Bandopadhyay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crocodiles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gharials]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/16110458/dc1724dd-feb1-4d01-9e4e-4353349e9041-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41667</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Encroachment, Endangered species, Endemic species, Environment, Protected Areas, Reptiles, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Like all crocodilians, Gangetic gharials regulate their body temperature using external heat sources. They warm their enormous bodies, which can grow to 15 to 20 feet in length, by basking on sandbanks, making it an important daily activity. Both temperature and light are important environmental cues for basking. However, a recent study on captive Gangetic [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Like all crocodilians, Gangetic gharials regulate their body temperature using external heat sources. They warm their enormous bodies, which can grow to 15 to 20 feet in length, by basking on sandbanks, making it an important daily activity. Both temperature and light are important environmental cues for basking. However, a recent study on captive Gangetic gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) finds that light is a stronger cue than temperature for their morning basking movements. The researchers expected natural light to be a reliable indicator for gharials to determine the right time to bask on land, says Megha Khanduri, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, Finland. However, artificial lighting at night and the resulting light pollution can disrupt the relationship between natural light and temperature in the environment. The study finds that if light is the more dominant cue for basking, this disruption could lead gharials to bask at the wrong time, when air temperatures are not warm enough, or choose suboptimal basking sites. “Such behaviours could be potentially life-threatening as it can result in hypothermia,” says Khanduri. “If hatchlings leave the water earlier than the adults because of differences in sensitivity to light, it could also expose them to terrestrial predators in the early hours.” Radiant cue for basking The study was conducted on 382 captive gharials raised from eggs and housed in enclosures at the Deori EcoCentre in Madhya Pradesh. The eggs were collected from several nesting sites within the National Chambal Sanctuary between&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/light-may-influence-morning-basking-behaviour-in-captive-gharials/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Ganges river dolphins may synchronise their activity with time, tides and the moon</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Oct 2026 11:39:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sneha Mahale]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aquatic life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dolphins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ganga]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wildlife monitoring]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/11235131/550a628e-78e3-48db-a0f5-ec5298029931-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41572</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered species, Endemic species, Mammals, Rivers, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the tidal waters of West Bengal’s Rupnarayan river, Ganges river dolphins live with constantly shifting water levels, currents and conditions. A new study in the river found that tide, time of day and lunar cycle influences when the dolphins were detected. Published in Aquatic Mammals, the month-long study examined the these parameters together in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the tidal waters of West Bengal’s Rupnarayan river, Ganges river dolphins live with constantly shifting water levels, currents and conditions. A new study in the river found that tide, time of day and lunar cycle influences when the dolphins were detected. Published in Aquatic Mammals, the month-long study examined the these parameters together in relation to acoustic detections (monitoring the animal by the sounds it makes) of Ganges river dolphins. At the study site, tides rise and fall twice a day with occasional tidal bores, causing large shifts in water levels and the currents, explains Gargi Roy Chowdhury, principal project associate at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the first author of the study. “It is a human-modified landscape with intense motorised fishing, and industrialised lower reaches with the Kolaghat thermal power plant downstream of the study site. It holds a good population of dolphins,” she adds while noting that large vessel traffic is limited here. A river shaped by the tide The Rupnarayan is an 85-km-long tributary of the Hooghly, influenced by tides from the Bay of Bengal, about 220 km away. Its upper reaches have narrower channels, while the lower stretches are wider. The river also experiences periodic tidal bores, and its flow is shaped by both seasonal and tidal forces. At the study site, the team used a single F-POD or a full waveform capture pod, an underwater acoustic recorder that listens for dolphin echolocation clicks. “The physical challenge was that the F-POD had to be&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/ganges-river-dolphins-may-synchronise-their-activity-with-time-tides-and-the-moon/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Researchers rediscover an endemic plant after 180 years</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Sep 2026 12:51:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nabarun Guha]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endemic species]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plant]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/09/14103922/rungia-mastersii-pic-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Endemic species, Environment, New species, Plants, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[An endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam, 180 years after its first discovery. The plant was not seen anywhere during this period. Kangkan Kumar Das, a doctoral researcher, and professor Debjyoti Bhattacharyya from the Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics at Assam University, Silchar, identified the species from Jatinga Hills in the Dima Hasao district of Assam. In 1845, British botanist J.W. Masters first discovered the plant from an unidentified location along Assam&#8217;s Sundar river and the plant was named after Masters. Speaking to Mongabay-India, Das said, “I was pursuing my doctoral research on the Acanthaceae family of plants and was travelling through Assam for my research. In Jatinga hills in Dima Hasao, I found this plant Rungia mastersii which is also a member of the family Acanthaceae. After I discovered this plant, I consulted with the renowned Chinese botanist Prof. Yunfei Deng from South China Botanical Garden who confirmed it.” He informed that for almost two centuries, there was no trace of this plant anywhere in the world. “Only one herbarium sheet has been kept at Central National Herbarium (CNH), Howrah,” he said. The endemic plant species Rungia mastersii was rediscovered in Assam after 180 years in Jatinga Hills, Dima Hasao district. Image by Kangkan Kumar Das. Characteristics of the plant The study published by Das and Bhattacharyya in July, 2026 describes Rungia mastersii as 60 to 110 cm tall, thriving in moist forests at elevations of 900 to 1,250 metres, and featuring pale green to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/09/researchers-rediscover-an-endemic-plant-in-assam-after-180-years/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40133</guid>

											<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>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/disappearing-grasslands-impact-bird-populations-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38217</guid>

											<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>
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						<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38007</guid>

											<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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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36724</guid>

											<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>
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						<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36693</guid>

											<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>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<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" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35247</guid>

											<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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														</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>
														</item>
						<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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					<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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					<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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						<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>
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						<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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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<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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