SPECIES in NEWS

Asiatic lion
● IUCN- EN
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
 Asiatic lion
● Habitat: Population limited to only five
protected areas in Gujarat – Gir
National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania
Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and
Girnar Sanctuary.
● Conservation Measures: Asiatic Lion
Conservation Project, funded from
CSS-DWH(Development of Wildlife
habitat)
 Snow Leopard
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
● Cannot roar like other big cats.
● State animal of H.P
 Snow Leopard
● Habitat: Western Himalayas, including
the Union Territories of Jammu and
Kashmir and Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal
Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
● Conservation Measures: Global Snow
Leopard and Ecosystem Protection
Program (GSLEP), Project Snow Leopard,
SECURE Himalaya project.
 Nilgiri Tahr
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
● Habitat: Endemic to the Western ghats.
Eravikulam National Park in Anamalai
hills- largest ppn. Mukurthi national park
created to protect the keystone species.
 Nilgiri Tahr
● Locally known as 'Varaiaadu'.
● Adapted to a cold and wet tropical
environment.
● References in Tamil Sangam literature
dating back to 2,000 years.
● State animal of Tamil Nadu.
● Conservation Measures: Project Nilgiri
Tahr by T.N.
 Red Pandas

● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
 Red Pandas
● Habitat: Sikkim (State Animal),
Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and
Meghalaya.
● Almost 50% of red panda’s habitat is in
the Eastern Himalayas.
● India home to both (sub) species:
Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
and Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani).
 Greater
One-Horned Rhino
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
● Habitat: Alluvial Terai-Duar savanna
grasslands and riverine forest.
 Greater
One-Horned Rhino
● Mainly found in the seven Protected
Areas viz. - Kaziranga NP, Pobitara WLS,
Orang NP, Manas NP in Assam(81%),
Jaldapara NP and Gorumara NP in West
Bengal and Dudhwa NP in Uttar Pradesh.
● Conservation measures:
○ Indian Rhino Vision 2020
○ Special Rhino Protection Force
○ National Rhino Conservation
Strategy 2019
 Sangai (Brow
antlered deer)
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
 Sangai (Brow
antlered deer)
● Habitat: Loktak Lake inside Keibul
Lamjao National Park (Manipur), over
floating biomass, called phumdi.
● Found only in Manipur(State Animal).
● Conservation measures: Loktak Lake
designated as a wetland of International
Importance under Ramsar Convention,
also under Montreux record.
 Fishing cat
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix II
● Not Part of Species recovery program
● Habitat: Found primarily in wetland and
mangrove habitats.
 Fishing cat
● In India, mainly found in the mangrove
forests of the Sundarbans, on the
foothills of the Himalayas along the
Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys
and in the Western Ghats.
● Conservation measures:
○ State animal of West Bengal
○ Designated as ambassador of
Chilika lake since 2020.
 Slender Loris
● IUCN- Gray S.L- N.T; Red S.L- En
● CITES- Appendix II
● Not Part of Species recovery program
● Habitat: Commonly found in the tropical
scrub and deciduous forests and the
dense hedgerow plantations bordering
farmlands of Southern India and Sri
Lanka.
 Slender Loris
● Grey Slender Loris: found only in South
India and small parts of Sri Lanka.
● Red Slender Loris: found only in Sri Lanka.
● Conservation measures: India’s first
sanctuary named Kadavur Slender Loris
Sanctuary, in Tamil Nadu.
 Indian Pangolin
● IUCN- En; Chinese-Cr
● CITES- Appendix I
● Habitat: The Indian Pangolin is found
throughout the country south of the
Himalayas, excluding the
north-eastern region while the
Chinese Pangolin ranges through
Assam and the eastern Himalayas.
 Indian Pangolin
● Threats: Hunting and poaching for
local consumptive use (e.g. as a
protein source and traditional
medicine) and international trade for
its meat and scales in East and South
East Asian countries, particularly
China and Vietnam.
● They are believed to be the world’s
most trafficked mammal.
 Indian Elephant
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Habitat: Found in the central and
southern Western Ghats, North East
India, east India and northern India and
in some parts of southern peninsular
India.
 Indian Elephant
● Conservation measures:
○ ‘Project Elephant’ in 1992.
○ Development of Elephant Reserves.
○ Monitoring the Illegal Killing of
Elephants (MIKE), an international
effort for conservation of elephants
in Asia and Africa.
 Jeypore
Ground Gecko
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix II
● Habitat: Endemic to Eastern Ghats in
parts of Southern Odisha and northern
Andhra Pradesh.
 Jeypore
Ground Gecko
● Known only from two separated
locations in high elevation moist forest
of Patinghe hills near Jeypore (Orissa)
and Galikonda hills (Andhra Pradesh).
● Threats - Habitat destruction due to
deforestation for bauxite mining, fuel
wood, land conversion to plantations
and forest fires.
 Great
Indian Hornbill
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● Habitat: Found in wet evergreen and mixed
deciduous forests.
● Distributed in a range from western India,
through Indochina, south of Malaya and
through Sumatra.
 Great
Indian Hornbill
● In India, mainly Found in foothills of
Himalayas and parts of northeast India,
along with Western Ghats.
● Conservation measures:
○ State Bird of Kerala.
○ Hornbill Nest Adoption Program
(community-based conservation)
outside Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal
Pradesh.
 Great
Indian Bustard
● IUCN- Cr
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
● Called ‘Son Chiriya’ in Madhya Pradesh,
‘Godawan’ in Rajasthan and ‘Maldhok’ in
Maharashtra.
 Great
Indian Bustard
● Habitat: Arid and semi-arid grasslands,
open country with thorn scrub, tall grass
interspersed with cultivation.
● Important Sites: Desert National Park
Sanctuary (Rajasthan), Naliya (Gujarat),
Warora (Maharashtra) and Bellary
(Karnataka).
● Conservation measures: Included under
National Wildlife Action Plan.
 Lesser Florican
● IUCN- Cr
● CITES- Appendix II
● Also known as Kharmor.
● A small and gracile bustard of the
bustard family.
 Lesser Florican
● Habitat: Endemic to India and mainly
found in grasslands and scrubby fields
in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Maharashtra.
● Threats: Hunting, Grassland conversion
to agriculture, overgrazing, collision with
energy infrastructure.
 Indian Skimmer
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Habitat: Found in the coastal estuaries
of western and eastern India.
 Indian Skimmer
● Chambal river is an important nesting
site for Indian Skimmer.
● Seen in huge flocks during winter at the
Coringa wildlife sanctuary (Kakinada,
Andhra Pradesh).
● Threats: Habitat degradation, Excessive
and widespread increase in disturbance,
Predation by corvids like House crows
etc.
 Ganges Dolphin
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Part of Species recovery program
● Can live only in freshwater and is blind;
has a slit similar to a blowhole on top of
its head, which acts as a nostril;
popularly referred to as 'Susu' due to the
sound it produces when breathing.
 Ganges Dolphin
● Habitat: Found in the Ganges,
Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
● Threats: Direct killing, habitat
fragmentation by dams and barrages
and indiscriminate fishing.
● Conservation measures: India’s
national aquatic animal.
 Olive Ridley turtle
● IUCN- Vu
● Smallest and most abundant of all sea
turtles. Best known for their unique mass
nesting called Arribada.
● Habitat: Warm waters of the Pacific,
Atlantic and Indian oceans.
 ORT
● Rushikulya river mouth is considered the
second-biggest rookery in India after
Gahirmatha
● Threats: Unintended capture in fishing
gear, Direct Harvest of Turtles and Eggs,
loss and degradation of habitat, marine
debris, climate change etc.
● Conservation measures: Tamil Nadu is
setting up an international olive ridley
turtle protection and rehabilitation
centre in Chennai.
 Red-crowned
roofed turtle
● IUCN- Cr
● CITES- Appendix I
● Aka Batagur kachuga
● Freshwater turtle species. Found in deep
flowing rivers with terrestrial nesting
sites.
 Red-crowned
roofed turtle
● Habitat: Native to India, Nepal and
Bangladesh.
● Currently in India, the National Chambal
River Gharial Sanctuary is the only area
with substantial population of the
species.
● Threats: Loss or degradation of habitat,
drowning by illegal fishing nets,
Poaching and illegal trade etc.
 Leith’s
softshell turtle
● IUCN- Cr
● CITES- Appendix I
● Large freshwater soft-shelled turtle. Can
grow upto 1 m with average adult size
varying from 700 mm to 1 m.
 Leith’s
softshell turtle
● Endemic to peninsular India and
inhabits rivers and reservoirs.
● Found in all major rivers of the states of
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Orissa, like-
Cauvery, Tungabhadra, Ghataprabha,
Bhavani, Godavari and Moyar.
● Threats: High demand in traditional
Chinese medicine and soup delicacy
 Vaquita porpoise
● IUCN- Cr
● CITES- Appendix I
● WPA Schedule IV
● World’s smallest cetacean and most
endangered marine mammal.
 Vaquita porpoise
● Most often found close to shore in the
Gulf's shallow waters.
● Known as "panda of the sea" for the
distinctive black circles around its eyes.
● Habitat: Northern Gulf of California and
the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.
Saltwater crocodile
● IUCN- LC
● CITES- Appendix I
● Largest of all crocodilians, and the
largest reptile in the world.
● Habitat: Extends from northern Australia
to eastern India and South-east Asia.
Saltwater crocodile
● In India, present mostly on the eastern
coast of the country around the
Bhitarkanika, Sunderbans and Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.
● Threats: Illegal hunting for its meat and
eggs, as well as for its commercially
valuable skin; Habitat loss and habitat
alterations; Negative attitude towards
the species.
 Purple frog
● IUCN- En
● WPA Schedule 1
● Prefers loose, damp and well-aerated
soil close to ponds and ditches or
streams.
● Remains underground most of the year
except for 2-3 weeks during the
monsoon when it comes out to mate.
 Purple frog
● Habitat: Endemic to the Western Ghats
in India.
● Threats: Deforestation from expanding
cultivation, consumption and harvesting
by local communities.
● Kerala is likely to announce the Purple
Frog as its state frog.
 Monarch Butterfly
● IUCN- En
● CITES- Appendix I
● Migratory butterfly known for longest
migration of any insect species known
to science.
 Monarch Butterfly
● Habitat: North, Central, and South
America.
● Threats: Loss of habitat, increased use of
herbicides and pesticides for
agriculture, and climate change.
 Blue Duke
● WPA Schedule II
● Found at an altitude below 1,500 metres.
● Habitat: Native to Sikkim and the eastern
Himalayas.
● State Butterfly of Sikkim. Its scientific
name is Bassarona durga.
Indian Star Tortoise
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● WPA- Schedule IV
● Have distinct star-like markings on the
shell to help this tortoise more easily
blend in with its surroundings.
Indian Star Tortoise
● Popular in the world's trade in exotic pets
due to attractive markings on its shell.
● Habitat: Found in dry lowlands of India,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Malabar Tree toad
● IUCN- Vu
● CITES- Appendix I
● It is a small species found in the forest
along the Western Ghats in wet tree
hollows or leaf bases containing water.
Malabar Tree toad
● Found mainly during the monsoon
season and then it disappears.
● Mainly found in Mollem National Park,
Goa close to the border with Karnataka.
● State frog of Karnataka.
 Noble’s Helen
Butterfly
● Habitat: The butterfly is “extremely rare”
identified from three locations in the
Namdapha National Park (Arunachal
Pradesh).
● It is also found in Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia, Myanmar, Yunnan and
Hubai regions of China and Vietnam.
 Omorgus Khandesh
● It is a new beetle species, belonging to
Trogidae family, discovered from
Western Ghats in India.
● Beetles of this group are sometimes
called hide beetles as they tend to cover
their body under soil and hide.
 Omorgus Khandesh
● Beetle is important for forensic science
as it helps detect the time of death of an
animal or human.
● It is necrophagous (feeds on dead
animal flesh) and is, therefore, also
called a keratin beetle.
Best of luck!