Type: Species

Why in the News?

The red-crowned roofed turtle has returned to the Ganga River after nearly 30 years of absence.

About Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle

• The Red-Crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga) is one of the most endangered freshwater turtle species in the world.
• It is native to South Asia, particularly India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• Historically found in deep, flowing rivers with sandbar nesting sites, it now survives only in the Chambal River, with fewer than 300 individuals remaining.
• This species plays a crucial role in maintaining river ecosystem balance by controlling aquatic vegetation and contributing to nutrient cycling.
• Under the Namami Gange Mission and Turtle Survival Alliance India (TSAFI) project, 20 turtles (10 males, 10 females) were released into the Ganga River at Haiderpur Wetland and Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The IUCN Red List categorizes it as Critically Endangered, while India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 lists it in Schedule I, offering the highest legal protection.
• It is also listed under Appendix I of CITES, regulating international trade of the species.

Why in the News?

A recent report by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), highlights the absence of any breeding programme for musk deer.

About Musk Deer:

• The Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) is an endangered species native to the Himalayas, found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China.
• It inhabits altitudes of 2,200 to 4,300 meters, primarily in alpine forests and scrublands.
• Behaviour: Solitary, nocturnal, and territorial. Males have long, curved canine teeth and a musk gland, which is highly valued and targeted by poachers.
• It plays a key role in seed dispersal, helping maintain the balance of the alpine ecosystem.
• Threats: Poaching for their musk glands, habitat loss from deforestation, and genetic issues due to fragmented populations.

Conservation Initiatives:

• Protection Status:
  • It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  • It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, offering the highest protection under Indian law.
• Protected Areas:
  • Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary: Established in 1972, covering 975 km² in the western Himalayas, crucial for musk deer conservation.
  • Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary: Located in Uttarakhand, dedicated specifically to musk deer conservation.
• Himalayan Musk Project (1982): Aimed at captive breeding within Kedarnath Sanctuary but faced setbacks due to disease, snake bites, and poor survival rates. The project was shut down in 2006.

Why in the News?

The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department’s wildlife wing has captured the first photographic evidence of the elusive Woolly Flying Squirrel in the Miyar Valley, Lahaul and Spiti district.

About the Woolly Flying Squirrel:

• The Woolly Flying Squirrel, scientifically known as Eupetaurus cinereus, is one of the rarest and least known mammals in Asia.
• It is endemic to the northwestern Himalayas, primarily found in northern Pakistan and northwestern India.
• It prefers to live in dry conifer woodlands within a fragmented habitat in a thin elevational band.
• This species was long believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994, nearly seventy years after its last recorded sighting.
• It is unique due to its ability to glide, much like other flying squirrels, as it has elastic membranes that connect its fore and hind legs.

Physical features:

• Its body is covered with dense, straight, silky hairs, with the dorsal pelage appearing blue-gray, while the underside is pale gray.
• The squirrel also has creamy white hairs on its throat and ears, and dense black fur on the soles of its feet, with pinkish brown toe pads that are naked.

Conservation Status:

• Listed as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List.
• NOT explicitly mentioned under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Significance of the Rediscovery:

• Its confirmed existence adds to the state’s mammal checklist, offering hope for its continued survival in this remote part of the Himalayas.
• This discovery is important from a scientific perspective, as it marks the first time the elusive species has been documented in India since its rediscovery in 1994.

Why in the News?

The elusive marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata) has been spotted in Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

About Marbled Cat

• The marbled cat is a small wild cat species native to South and Southeast Asia.
• It belongs to the Felidae family and is closely related to the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the bay cat (Catopuma badia).
• The species was first described in 1836 by British zoologist William Charles Linnaeus Martin.
• It is characterised by brown, gray, or yellowish fur with distinctive black spots, marbled patterns, and stripes for camouflage.
• It is found in dense tropical and subtropical forests at elevations up to 2,500 meters.
• It primarily inhabits rainforests, evergreen forests, and mountainous terrain.
• It is arboreal, spending a significant amount of time in trees.
• It is nocturnal and crepuscular, meaning it is most active at dawn and dusk.

• Conservation Status:

• • IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT) due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
  • CITES: Appendix I

Why in the News?

India’s first-ever comprehensive river dolphin survey conducted under Project Dolphin (2020) has estimated a population of 6,327 dolphins, primarily across the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus River basins.

River Dolphins in India:

Key Highlights of the Survey

• The survey estimated the Ganges River dolphin population at 6,324, with Uttar Pradesh (2,397) and Bihar (2,220) recording the highest numbers, while the Brahmaputra basin had 635 dolphins, indicating a stable population.
• The Indus River dolphin population was found to be critically low, with only 3 individuals recorded in the Beas River in Punjab, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.
• Key habitats were identified, with the highest dolphin concentrations observed in the Bhind-Pachnada stretch of the Chambal River and the Chausa-Manihari stretch of the Ganga.
• Dolphins were found to prefer deep water zones, confluences, mid-channel islands, and meandering sections of rivers, indicating specific habitat requirements.