Photos | Snake, frog, slug, eel: Say hello to India’s newest species!
Manav JainPublished: Dec 5, 2023Updated: Oct 17, 2026
Every 12 months, scientists trawl by way of India’s wild terrains to survey the well being of our wildlife. If they get fortunate, they likelihood upon new species too. Sometimes, as they analyze DNA and examine call-acoustics, for example, additionally they discover that what was beforehand recognized as one species is definitely two, or three or 4. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) compiles these new finds in its annual Animal Discoveries listing. See a number of the newest species listed in 2020, and a bonus: two uncommon finds (a mammal and a chook) from current years.
Updated On Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST 7 Photos
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Vine snakes within the Western Ghats: In a revolutionary second for reptilian taxonomy, researchers discovered that the generally occurring inexperienced vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta) from the Western Ghats was truly 4 distinct species. Clockwise from high left, they're the Northern Western Ghats vine snake (Ahaetulla borealis), Farnsworth’s vine snake (Ahaetulla farnsworthi), Malabar vine snake (Ahaetulla malabarica) and Wall’s vine snake (Ahaetulla isabellina). They look comparable however are separated by ecological and geographical obstacles. (Photo courtesy Ashok Kumar Mallik)
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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A frog from the Eastern Ghats: The Raorchestes kollimalai is a brand new species of bush frog from the understudied Eastern Ghats. Apart from its bodily options and geographic information, the clinching consider figuring out it was call-acoustics. Frogs are energetic on torrential monsoon nights, and whereas within the discipline on one such night time, the scientists discovered that one of many calls they had been listening to was totally different and beforehand undescribed. The frog has been named for the Kolli hills of Tamil Nadu, the place it was first discovered.(Photo courtesy Zeeshan Mirza)
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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New species of moray eel from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A brand new white-spotted moray eel (Gymnothorax aurocephalus) was found off the Swaraj Deep islands. Moray eels, together with the brand new discover, are virtually solely marine, and characterised by irregular white spots on their physique. Unlike the others in its genus, the G. aurocephalus is a chocolate brown with golden pores and skin shadings. It additionally has pointed and serrated jaw tooth. (Photo courtesy Okay Okay Bineesh)
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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Sea slugs from Maharashtra & Gujarat: The Cratena poshitraensis (photographs A and B) has been named after the Poshitra area in Gujarat and the Cratena pawarshindeorum (photographs C and D), which was discovered on the rocky intertidal shores of Uran and spreads throughout the shores of Mumbai, was named after Rajendra Pawar and Vishwas Shinde, researchers from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), for his or her contributions to the examine of sea slugs.
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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Barklice from the Western Ghats: Of the 400-odd discoveries made final 12 months, one belonged to the order of microscopic bugs (booklice, barkflies, and so forth). The Soa papanasam is a species of barklice (named so as a result of they sometimes feed on algae and lichen on timber) discovered within the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. This is the primary species of the genus Soa described from India. (Photo courtesy KA Subramanian)
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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The Narcondam white-toothed shrew: In a uncommon discover, researchers from the Zoological Survey of India found the primary new mammal in India in over 40 years. It was formally described within the journal Scientific Reports this 12 months. The white-toothed shrew (Crocidura narcondamica) was discovered on the distant Narcondam island within the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. It is an endemic, insectivorous, rat-like creature, not to be mistaken for the Andaman shrew or the Nicobar shrew, each of which belong to the identical Crocidura genus. (Devanshu Gupta by way of Wikimedia Commons)
Updated on Nov 05, 2021 09:19 PM IST
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The Himalayan forest thrush: In 2016, the Himalayan forest thrush (Zoothera salimalii) grew to become the primary chook species to be described in India in 10 years, and solely the fourth since Independence. It can also be the primary chook species named in honour of legendary Indian ornithologist Salim Ali. It was first recognized again in 1999 by its peculiarly melodic name, which researchers Per Alström and Shashank Dalvi heard. They spent the following few years in search of it, and adopted this up with an in depth examine of comparable birds from around the globe.(Craig Brelsford by way of Wikimedia Commons )
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