Why in the News
A Rainbow Water Snake (Enhydris enhydris) was documented for the first time in Uttar Pradesh with photographic evidence from the buffer zone of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
- Location: Indo Nepal border, Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh
• Established: 1988
• Area: 1,284 sq km
• Constituents:
- Dudhwa National Park
- Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
- Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
- Buffer includes North Kheri, South Kheri, and parts of Shahjahanpur forest divisions
- Habitat Type: Typical Tarai Bhabar ecosystem of Upper Gangetic Plains
• Rivers:
- Sharda (near Kishanpur)
- Geruwa (through Katerniaghat)
- Suheli and Mohana (in Dudhwa NP)
- All are tributaries of the Ghagra River
- Vegetation: North Indian Moist Deciduous forests, noted for Sal
• Flora Examples: Sal, Asna, Asidha, Haldu, Faldu, Gahmhar, Kanju
Rainbow Water Snake
- Scientific Name: Enhydris enhydris
• Conservation Status: IUCN: Least Concern
• Nature: Slightly venomous, fish eating freshwater snake
• Distribution: South and Southeast Asia including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand etc.
• Habitat: Marshlands, ponds, rice fields freshwater zones
• Distinctive Features:
- Up to 130 cm long
- Two pale stripes along body converging near crown
- Brown to greenish brown body with pale belly
| In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply? (2017)
(a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger (b) It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and how it is impossible to prevent its extinction (c) It is endemic to a particular region of India. (d) Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context. |
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