BIODIVERSITY QUIZ

MARSUPIALS

The word marsupial comes from 'marsupium', the technical term for abdominal pouch.

A distinctive characteristic of marsupials is that they carry their young ones in a pouch.

They give birth to a relatively undeveloped offspring that often resides in a pouch located on their mothers' abdomen for a certain amount of time.

The well-known marsupialsn from the Australian continent are kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, opossums, wombats, Tasmanian devils and the extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

➤ Nilgiri Tahr - Endangered

➤ Swamp Deer - Vulnerable

➤ One-Horned Rhino - Vulnerable

➤ Blackbuck - Vulnerable

Click Here To Know More About BlackBuck (https://t.me/iaspanti/3420?single)

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Protected areas with viable blackbuck population in India

> Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan

NILGIRI TAHR

➤ Listed as "Endangered" in the IUCN Red list

➤ The Nilgiri tahr can be found only in India.

➤ It is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portions of Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

➤ It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

➤ It inhabits the open montane grassland habitat of the Southern Western Ghats, locally known as shola forests.

➤ Eravikulam National Park is home to the largest population of Nilgiri Tahr.

Short Video on Nilgiri Tahr

➤ The Nilgiri Tahr avoids the dense forests that adjoin the montane grasslands.

➤ They specialise in climbing steep rocky cliffs, where other herbivores cannot reach.

➤ Even as juveniles they roam around freely on bare cliff faces.

➤ With their specialised hooves, they easily walk around the rocks.

➤ Having this unique advantage, graze the lush grass patches on cliffs.

Swamp Deer also known as "Barasingha" is the official Mascot of Kanha National Park

Swamp Deer or "Barasingha" as the name suggests in Hindi, is a species of deer endemic to India, which has twelve, or more than twelve tined set of antlers.

SWAMP DEER (BARASINGHA)

Conservation Status - Vulnerable in IUCN Red List + Appendix I of CITES + Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Habitat - near small riverine wetlands

Barasingha is now found only in 5 National Parks of India

1⃣ Kanha National Park, M.P.
2⃣ Dudhwa National Park, U.P.
3⃣ Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, U.P.
4⃣ Kaziranga National Park, Assam
5⃣ Manas National Park, Assam

Indian One-Horned Rhino range and species distribution

➤ Nearly 85% of the Indian rhinoceros population is concentrated in Assam.

➤ Kaziranga National Park contains 70% of rhino population.

➤ Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam is known for its highest density of One-horned Rhinoceros in the world.

All the birds given in the question - cuckoo, hummingbird, greater flamingo and amur falcon are migratory birds.

CUCKOO BIRD

Cuckoos are migratory birds, though some species are resident too.

In 2020, a cuckoo bird completed one of the longest migrations ever recorded by any land bird.

It set off in March 2020 and arrived at its breeding ground after 12,000 km flight, flying through 16 countries and across the Indian Ocean on its journey from Zambia to Mongolia.

Cuckoo as Brood Parasites

Most species of Cuckoos are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species, but some species raise their own young ones too.

HUMMINGBIRD

Hummingbirds are the world's tiniest birds.

They are also the smallest migratory bird species in the world.

Hummingbirds can hover in flight, they are the only birds which can fly backwards, sideways and upside down.

GREATER FLAMINGO

The greater flamingo is the largest living species of the flamingo family.

Natural habitat - mudflats and shallow coastal lagoons with salt water.

In India, flamingos can be observed at the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Flamingo City, and in the Thol Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat.

WHY ARE FLAMINGOS PINK ?

The name "flamingo" comes from the Spanish word flamenco, which means "flame-colored".

Flamingos are omnivores that feed on blue-green algae, brine shrimps, crustaceans and molluscs.

The pigment in their food called carotenoids give flamingos their pink to reddish color.

Flamingos that feed primarily on blue-green algae are darker than those that get the pigment second-hand from crustaceans.

Flamingos that don't get carotenoids from their diet may be perfectly healthy, but are gray or white.

AMUR FALCONS

Amur falcons are the world’s longest travelling raptors.

They start their migration with the onset of winters.

The raptors breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China, and migrate in millions across India and then over the Indian Ocean to southern Africa, before returning to Mongolia and Siberia.

Their 22,000 km migratory route is one of the longest amongst all avian species.

They get their name from the Amur River that forms the border between Russia and China.

Watch Short Video on Amur Falcons, their migration and Nagaland Halt

WHY IS NAGALAND KNOWN AS THE "FALCON CAPITAL OF THE WORLD" ?

In Nagaland, Amur Falcons flock in millions. It is their roosting site, they stay there and rest for some time.

Doyang Lake in Wokha District of Nagaland, situated on the Central Asian Flyway, is the stopover for the Amur falcons in their annual migration.

Pangti Village in Wokha District of Nagaland hosts the world's largest congregation of Amur Falcons, where more than one million birds can be seen in just 30 minutes.

ELEPHANT GRASS

Elephant grass or Napier grass is one of the most resilient tropical grasses.

It grows in the savannah of Africa along lake beds and rivers where the soil is rich.

Elephant grass is rough and coarse grass with millions of hairs protecting its outer layer.

It is 3m (10 ft) tall dwarfing any man and animal.

The edges of the leaves are razor-sharp. This makes stands of elephant grass nearly impenetrable.

Elephant grass is considerably longer than many other grasses seen on the African savanna. It creates a long shadow where predators can hide.

Many bird species make their home in the stands.

It is one of the essential source of forage for elephants throughout Africa.

It is one of the most important fodder crops for the dairy farmers of East Africa.

It is also considered as a viable source of biofuel.

➤ Flying Fox is actually a bat.
Know More - https://t.me/iaspanti/1918

➤ Prarie Dog is a ground squirrel.

➤ Seahorse is a fish.
Know More - https://t.me/iaspanti/458

➤ Koala is not a bear, but a marsupial.

KOALA

An arboreal herbivorous marsupial mammal native to Australia.

Typically inhabit open eucalyptus woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet.

Largely sedentary and sleep up to 20 hours a day.

Being marsupials, koalas give birth to underdeveloped young that crawl into their mothers' pouches, where they stay for the first 6-7 months of their lives.

They are asocial animals, and bonding exists only between mothers and the dependent offspring.

Koalas have few natural predators and parasites, but are threatened by various pathogens, such as Chlamydiaceae bacteria and the koala retrovirus.

PRARIE DOG

Prairie dogs are herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America.

Despite the name, they are not actually canines.

They are a type of ground squirrel.

Prairie dogs are named after their habitat (Prarie grasslands) and their warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark.

GIANT SEQUOIA

Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoia is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron.

It is one of the species of coniferous trees known as redwoods.

Giant sequoias are the most massive trees on Earth.

They occur naturally only in groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

Giant Sequoia is listed as 'Endangered' in IUCN Red List.

Nowhere does it grow in pure stands. It occurs in scattered groves, with a total of 68 groves comprising a total area of only 144.16 km².

Sequoiadendron giganteum
🌲🌲🌲
This Tree is at Sequoia National Park of California, it is known as "THE GENERAL SHERMAN ".

The General Sherman is the world's largest single-stem tree.

➤ 275 Feet Tall
➤ 103 Feet Trunk Girth
➤ 1385 Tonnes weight
➤ Age between 2300–2700 years

It is the world's largest tree by volume (1487 cubic metres) and one of oldest living things in the world.

This is a single mosaic image of the world’s second biggest tree, a giant sequoia called 'THE PRESIDENT'. Comprised of 126 Frames, 2 Billion Leaves, and at 75.3 m tall, the sight is quite impressive.

MARSUPIALS

All extant marsupials are endemic to Australia and the Americas.

WHY ARE THEY CALLED MARSUPIALS ?

The word marsupial comes from 'marsupium', the technical term for abdominal pouch.

A distinctive characteristic of marsupials is that their young ones are carried in a pouch.

They give birth to a relatively undeveloped offspring that often resides in a pouch located on their mothers' abdomen for a certain amount of time.

Well-known marsupials are kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, opossums, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and the extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).

SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur on the Australian continent (the mainland, Tasmania, New Guinea and nearby islands). The remaining 30% are found in the Americas—primarily in South America, thirteen in Central America, and one in North America, north of Mexico.

Point to Note : Platypus is NOT a marsupial. It is a 'monotreme', which means an egg-laying mammal.

The platypus, also referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative of its family and genus.

It is one of the two egg laying mammals (other being the Echidna) called the monotremes. The Monotremes are the only mammals which lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.

All monotremes are native to Australia.

MEGHALAYA BIODIVERSITY

Clouded leopard is the state animal of Meghalaya, which is also home to insectivorous Nepenthes Khasiana (the pitcher plant) and the Western Hoolock Gibbon.

Hoolock Gibbon is the only ape species found in India.

CLOUDED LEOPARD

Clouded leopards named after the cloud-shaped patterns on their skin, are typically rainforest dwellers.

Clouded Leopard is found only in the himalayan foothills and national parks of North East India.

It is the state animal of Meghalaya.

It has been classified as Vulnerable on IUCN Red List.

Dampa Tiger Reserve of Mizoram has one of the highest populations of clouded leopards.

Dampa was in the news lately as one of the tiger reserves where tigers were estimated to be zero in the latest all India tiger estimation exercise.

INDIA'S ONLY KNOWN PITCHER PLANT - NEPENTHES KHASIANA

Nepenthes khasiana is an evergreen shrub considered endemic to Meghalaya.

It is facing threats from mining, shifting cultivation and excessive collection.

The species is known popularly as “monkey cups” because the animals were observed drinking rainwater from these tropical pitchers.

Pitcher plants are insectivorous plants that attract, kill and digest insects.

The plants have evolved modified leaves consisting of jug-like pitchers, which function as pitfall traps that ‘hunt’ prey, mainly insects that curiously approach the pitcher rims and end up falling inside.

Often unable to escape the slippery inner walls and sticky fluid inside the pitcher, the insects die and enzymes at the bottom of the pitcher digest them to release nutrients needed by the plant.

Classified as endangered, the species occupies an area of 250 square kilometres, according to the IUCN Red List.

Pitchers are deceptive: they employ various strategies to lure insects. Some pitchers emit flowery scents.

Interestingly, N. khasiana has another trick to attract insects: the rims of the pitchers glow blue under ultraviolet light.

N. khasiana pitchers are modified leaves that evolved to capture, kill and digest prey.

Baghmara Pitcher Plant Wildlife Sanctuary - Meghalaya

Situated near the famous limestone Siju Cave and Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills District of Meghalaya.

This place is home to the insectivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana.

Hoolock Gibbon is the only species of apes found in India.

The forests of north-east India support the highest diversity of primates in India, including the only apes found in the country, the western hoolock gibbon and the eastern hoolock gibbon.

1) Western hoolock gibbon : It has a much wider range, as it is found in all the states of the north-east.

2) Eastern hoolock gibbon : inhabits only specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India.

IUCN Status

Western hoolock - Endangered
Eastern hoolock - Vulnerable

As an exclusively arboreal species that requires contiguous, closed-canopy forests for survival, the hoolock gibbon is particularly vulnerable to the massive ongoing deforestation across northeastern India.

This arboreal species is so reluctant to spend time on the ground that even the loss of a single connecting tree can render forest fragments inaccessible to them.

In India, it is listed on Schedule 1 of the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972.

KHARAI CAMEL

1) Unique breed of camels found only in Kutch

2) World's only swimming camels

3) Camels which feed on mangroves on offshore islands

Kharai camels, their name is derived from the local word khara, meaning saline.

During the rainy season, they swim along the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea, to small forest islands and graze on mangroves and other salt-loving plants.

They can swim for upto 3 km distance from the seashore.

HEMIS NATIONAL PARK

Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.

It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas,

It is the largest notified protected area in India.

It is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas.

Hemis National Park is India's protected area inside the Palearctic realm, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

HEMIS NATIONAL PARK - FAUNA

Hemis National Park is home to a viable breeding population of about 200 snow leopards, especially in the Rumbak catchment area.

The prey base for the snow leopard in the Central Asian Highlands is primarily supported in Hemis by Argali (Great Tibetan Sheep), Bharal (Blue Sheep), Shapu (Ladakhi Urial) and livestock.

A small population of the Asiatic ibex is also present in Hemis.

Hemis is the only refuge in India containing the Shapu.

The Tibetan wolf, the Eurasian brown bear (endangered in India) and the Red Fox are also present in Hemis.

Among birds of prey noted here are Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan birds of prey: golden eagle, lammergeier vulture, and Himalayan griffon vulture.

SNOW LEOPARD

Snow Leopard is one of the large wild cats native to the Himalayan and trans-himalayan mountain ranges of the Indian Subcontinent.

In India, their geographical range encompasses Western Himalayas including the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand + Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas.

Snow leopards prefer steep, rugged terrains with rocky outcrops and ravines.

This type of habitat provides good cover and clear view to help them sneak up on their prey.

They are found at elevations of 3,000-5,000 m or higher in the Himalayas.

IUCN Conservation status: Vulnerable

Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, able to exceed 320 km/h when diving to catch its prey.

River dolphins found in India

IUCN status

1) Gangetic dolphin - Endangered

2) Indus River Dolphin - Endangered

3) Irrawaddy Dolphin - Vulnerable

NATIONAL CHAMBAL SANCTUARY is located along river Chambal on the tri-junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

It is known for conservation of the

1⃣ Endangered Gangetic River Dolphin

2⃣ Critically endangered Gharial

3⃣ Critically endangered Red-Crowned Roof Turtle

UPPER GANGA RIVER (UTTAR PRADESH) provides habitat for IUCN Red listed endangered Gangetic River Dolphin and the critically endangered Gharial.

It is a shallow river stretch of the Ganges from Brijghat to Narora with intermittent small stretches of deep-water pools and reservoirs upstream from barrages.

Red Panda

Why in News ?

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have concluded that India is home to both the (sub) species — Himalayan red panda and the Chinese red panda

The Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh splits the red panda into these two phylogenetic species.

The red panda was considered a monotypic species till 2020 until the scientists studied its genetic make-up with respect to the geographical distribution and described the occurrence of the two species.

About Red Panda

The red panda is a small arboreal mammal found in the forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan and the northern mountains of Myanmar and southern China.

In India, Red Panda is found only in 4 states :

1) Sikkim (It is also the state animal of Sikkim)
2) Arunachal Pradesh
3) Meghalaya
4) Darjeeling district of West Bengal

Five major protected areas having Red Panda population in India

>> Singalila National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal

>> Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal

>> Nokrek National Park, Meghalaya

>> Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh

> Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim

The Red Panda is the only surviving species of the genus Ailurus and the family Ailuridae, which are a type of bear family.

Though the Red Panda is not directly related to the popular Giant Panda, because of a similar diet and solitary behaviour, they share a second name.

The Red Panda sleeps all day and wakes up at dusk to eat for a little while until the sun sets. They then wake up at dawn, eat and go back to rest till dusk. The Red Panda, because of their low calorie diet, do little more than eat and sleep.

Similar to the Giant Panda, the Red Panda cannot digest cellulose and therefore needs to eat massive quantities of bamboo to survive. They also feed on small mammals, insects, flowers and berries.

The biggest threat to the Red Panda in India is the excessive extraction of fuel wood from forests.

This causes deforestation of bamboo jungles, which unlike grasslands, take a longer time to grow back.

Bamboo trees are the natural habitat of the Red Panda.

Protected areas with viable blackbuck population in India

>> Tal Chappar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan

>> Velavadar Blackbuck National Park, Gujarat

>> Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh

>> Nannaj and Rehekuri Blackbuck Sanctuary in Maharashtra

>> Vanasthali and Rollapadu in Andhra Pradesh

>> Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, Telangana

>> Ranibennur Blackbuck Sanctuary and Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve, Karnataka

Point Calimere and Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu

Blackbuck Antelope is the fastest running land animal in India (after extinction of Indian Cheetah), found mainly in grassy plains of India.

It reaches up to a maximum speed of 80 kmph.

The antelope was used to compete with Cheetah in Velavadar grasslands of Gujarat, which was the hunting reserve of the Maharaja of the princely state of Bhavnagar.

Blackbuck is a diurnal antelope (it is active mainly during the day)

It is preyed by tiger, wolves and dhole dogs of India.

It forms three type of small groups, female, male, and bachelor herds. Males often adopt lekking as a strategy to garner females for mating. While other males are not allowed into these territories, females often visit these places to forage.

The antelope is endemic to India and found mainly in India and also in Nepal, while it is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

It is the sole member of its genus and protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Appendix III of CITES.

The blackbuck has significance in Hinduism; Indian and Nepali villagers do not harm the antelope.

The Bishnoi community of Jodhpur is known for their conservation of Blackbucks.

According to Tiger Census, 2018 Mizoram’s Dampa Tiger Reserve and West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve have no tigers left.

Buxa and Dampa can be repopulated through reintroductions from Kaziranga, after prey restoration in Buxa and strengthening protection in Dampa, which has a good prey base.

Currently, tiger population within reserves is 1923 (65% of the total tiger population of India), which means 35% of the tiger population still lives outside the reserves.

The largest contiguous tiger population in the world of about 724 tigers was found in the Western Ghats (Nagarhole-Bandipur-Wayanad-Mudumalai-Satyamangalam-BRT block), while the second largest population of about 604 tigers was found across Uttrakhand and western Uttar Pradesh (Rajaji-Corbett-Ramnagar-Pilibhit-Dudhwa block).

Corbett Tiger Reserve has the largest population of tigers with about 231 tigers.

Blue-winged Parakeet, Lion-tailed Macaque and Flame-throated bulbul are endemic to the Western ghats of Southern India.

Blue-winged Parakeet also known as Malabar Parakeet

This striking parakeet is restricted to the forests of India’s Western Ghats. Favours forest and forest edge.

Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screeching calls that differ from those of other parakeet species within their distribution range.

Their long blue tails tipped in yellow and the dark wings with blue contrast with the dull grey of their head and body.

Flame-throated bulbul

Why in News?

The flame-throated bulbul, also called the Rubigula, was the mascot of the 36th National Games (cancelled due to covid pandemic).

The Flame-throated bulbul is found only in the forests of the Western Ghats in southern India.

It is the state bird of Goa.

They are olive backed with yellow undersides, a triangular orange-red throat and a white iris that stands out against the contrasting black head.

The symbiotic relationship that occurs between an orchid and a tree would be classified as commensalism.

Most orchids are epiphytes, which mean that that they grow on other plants.

This benefits the orchids because they can grow on top of the canopy, which prevents the orchids from being walked on or eaten by ground-dwelling organisms.

Being in the canopy also allows the orchids to receive more sunlight for photosynthesis.

However, the orchids receive nutrients from the air and compost on the trees. Thus, they do not harm the plants on which they grow.

Like Great Indian Bustards, the Lesser Florican, an endangered agro-grassland bird, is on the verge of extinction in Maharashtra.

It is the smallest bird of the bustard family.

Hunters turn protectors

Traditional hunters Pardhis are part of an initiative to save critically endangered lesser floricans.

The Pardhi community in central India has been a nomadic community of hunters.

Phase Pardhis, one of the sub-groups within the community, were known for their skill in catching birds with phase (traps).

Why Pardhis are crucial to lesser florican conservation efforts?

There are three aspects to protecting the lesser florican—conserving the grass variety, the landscape and protecting the nests.

✅ Only Pardhis know how to locate nests and where to sight the bird.

✅ They also understand the landscape where the floricans breed.

Therefore, their importance in conservation of the landscape, in nest protection, and in counting of the bird is invaluable.

Out of over six types of grasses found in the region, the florican nests in just one, but the clump has to be of the desired thickness and the location has to be just right—part farm and part grassland.

Lesser Florican is one of the four bustard species of India and is endemic to our country.

Though lesser florican has been given the highest degree of protection under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, its numbers have declined, necessitating its declaration as an endangered species in the IUCN Red list.

Northeastern India is the home to all five insectivorous genera, namely Nepenthes (commonly known as pitcher plant), Drosera (Tropical sundew), Utricularia (bladderwort), Aldrovanda (waterwheel plant), and Pinguicula (butterwort).

India’s only known pitcher plant species Nepenthes khasiana is an evergreen shrub considered endemic to Meghalaya.

It is facing threats from mining, shifting cultivation and excessive collection.

The species is known popularly as “monkey cups” because the animals were observed drinking rainwater from these tropical pitchers.

Pitcher plants are insectivorous plants that attract, kill and digest insects. The plants have evolved modified leaves consisting of jug-like pitchers, which function as pitfall traps that ‘hunt’ prey, mainly insects that curiously approach the pitcher rims and end up falling inside.

Often unable to escape the slippery inner walls and sticky fluid inside the pitcher, the insects die and enzymes at the bottom of the pitcher digest them to release nutrients needed by the plant.

Classified as endangered, the species occupies an area of 250 square kilometres, according to the IUCN Red List.

Pitchers are deceptive: they employ various strategies to lure insects. Some pitchers emit flowery scents.

Interestingly, N. khasiana has another trick to attract insects: the rims of the pitchers glow blue under ultraviolet light.

The rims of the pitchers of Nepenthes khasiana glow blue under UV light.

N. khasiana pitchers are modified leaves that evolved to capture, kill and digest prey.

Rusty Spotted Cat

The rusty-spotted cat is smallest cat of the world, a wild cat found only in India and known as humming bird of the cat family. This smallest wild cat species is one of the 8 medium-sized wild cats found in India.

15 Species of cat family are found in the Indian Subcontinent.

Indian Subcontinent is home to the world’s highest known cat diversity in the rainforests, desert lands and dense jungles.

Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary or Jeypore-Dehing lowland forests of Assam is the only place in the world where 7 cat species live in a single Indian rainforest.

Cat family found in India includes 5 big cats, 8 medium-sized wild cats, Caracal and Lynx, total 15 species.

5 big cats- Asiatic lion, bengal tiger, snow leopard, indian leopard, clouded leopard

8 medium sized wild cats - golden cat, jungle cat, fishing cat, leopard cat, marbled cat, desert cat, pallas's cat, rusty spotted cat

Fire Corals

Fire corals are critically endangered corals species of India. They are more closely related to jellyfish than corals.

Distribution: Indonesia, Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama Pacific Province. Possibly extinct from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore and Thailand.

Threats: Collected for decoration and jewellery trade.

This group of corals is sensitive to temperature rise and is thought to have completely disappeared from the majority of marine areas possibly because of global warming related coral bleaching effects.

Snowflake coral is an invasive alien species.

Points to note from today’s News Articles in THE HINDU (20-SEP-2020):

🔎 Nagaland's Thanamir Apples - why in news? They were brought to Nagaland in 1980 by Assam Rifles from Jammu & Kashmir.

Thanamir - a village in Nagaland, bordering Myanmar, known as the last stop for trekkers to Saramati, the highest peak of Nagaland.

🔎 600 people have tested positive for Scrub Typhus Disease in Nagaland.

What is Scrub Typhus, how does it spread?

🔎 Three labour reform bills introduced in Lok Sabha -

1) Industrial Relations Code, 2020 - mandates companies with 300 or more workers to prepare and submit standing orders regarding conditions of service (shift timings, termination of employment etc. ) to the govt.

2) Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, 2020 - proposes to subsume 13 Acts, including Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979.

3) Code on Social Security, 2020 - proposes to bring unorganised sector, gig workers and platform workers under the ambit of social security schemes, including life and disability insurance, health and maternity benefits, provident fund and skill upgradation.

🔎 Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 - to ensure that fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least 6 months starting March 25, amid the covid-19 pandemic.

IBC cannot be initiated for companies below ₹1 crore, so MSMEs will not be affected by the new IBC Bill.

🔎 National Public Health Act to address biological emergency (under works since 4 years) will be enacted soon.

The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed in Rajya Sabha. It provides for upto 7 years in jail for attacking doctors and healthcare workers.

🔎 TATA CRISPR Test developed by CSIR-IGIB 'Feluda' to be unveiled by TATA Group will be -

1) the result of collaboration between scientific community and industry.

2) world's first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to detect SARS-CoV-2.

3) as accurate as RT-PCR, but quicker, less expensive and easier to use.

🔎 Decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Viraat set sail on its last journey to be dismantled at Alang shipbreaking yard in Gujarat.

🔎 Vehicle Scrappage Policy by MoRTH - for voluntary and environment-friendly phasing out of unfit and old polluting vehicles. How its approval will make India a hub of automobile manufacturing?

🔎 Sputnik V uses two human recombinant adenovirus vectors - rAd5 and rAd26.

What are the issues and challenges with using human adenoviruses in covid vaccine ?

Fact - Oxford vaccine uses chimpanzee adenovirus.

🔎 Why is Phosphine gas considered a biomarker for life ? What does the presence of Phosphine on Venus mean?

Critically Endangered Turtle Species of India-

1) Hawksbill Turtle
2) Leatherback Turtle
3) River Terrapin
4) Red-crowned Roofed Turtle

IUCN status of Olive Ridley Turtle is vulnerable.

Namdapha Flying Squirrel is critically endangered.

It is an arboreal, nocturnal flying squirrel endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, where it is known from a single specimen collected in Namdapha National Park in 1981.

Sangai deer, Red Panda and Lion-tailed macaque are endangered.

Gharial

Often confused with crocodiles and alligators, Gharial is a related but different species.

With its long, slender snout packed in with 106 to 110 needle-like teeth and a bulbous nose tip, Gharials are mainly fish eating.

Their specialized snouts help them rapidly slice through the waters of the Chambal River, where they are mostly found.

National Chambal Sanctuary is located on the border of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. It is a protected area for conservation of -
1) Gharial (critically endangered)
2) Red-crowned roofed turtle (critically endangered)
3) Gangetic River Dolphin (endangered)

IUCN status

Ganges Shark - Critically Endangered
Gangetic dolphin - Endangered
Indus River Dolphin - Endangered
Irrawaddy Dolphin - Vulnerable

Ganges Shark

It occurs in the Ganga river and the Bay of Bengal.

Its small eyes suggest that it is adapted to living in turbid water (just like dugong), while the slender teeth of the species suggest that it is primarily a fish-eater.

Distribution: Ganga river system and Hooghly river mouth are its known habitats.

Threats: Major fisheries targeting sharks. Other probable threats include overfishing, pollution, increasing river use and construction of dams and barrages.