Wild Animals

[Vikramaditya]

Basking shark

#The basking shark, is the second largest living shark, after the whale shark.

#It is a cosmopolitan species — it is found in all the world's temperate oceans.

#It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder.

 

[Vikramaditya]

Thresher shark

#The genus and family name derive from the Greek word alopex, meaning fox.

#Threshers are slow growing and are therefore threatened by commercial fisheries.

#It is known that thresher populations of the Indian Ocean are separated by depth and space according to gender.

 

[Vikramaditya]

Leopard shark

#Active-swimming predators, groups of leopard sharks often follow the tide onto intertidal mudflats to forage for food, mainly clams, spoon worms, crabs, shrimp, bony fish, and fish eggs.

#Typically measuring 1.2–1.5 m long, this slender-bodied shark is immediately identifiable by the striking pattern of black saddle-like markings and large spots over its back, from which it derives its common name.

 

[Vikramaditya]

Horn shark

 

[RPK]

Indian scientists make major breakthrough in tiger conservation - dnaindia.com
Washington: In a new study, a team of Indian scientists has announced a major breakthrough in the science of saving tigers, namely, high-tech DNA fecal sampling.

The study was conducted by Samrat Mondol, Anish Andheria and Uma Ramakrishnan, of the National Centre for Biological Sciences; K. Ullas Karanth, N. Samba Kumar, and Arjun M. Gopalaswamy of the Wildlife Conservation Society and Centre for Wildlife Studies.

According to the study, researchers will be able to accurately count and assess tiger populations by identifying individual animals from the unique DNA signature found in their dung.

In the past, DNA was collected from blood or tissue samples from tigers that were darted and sedated.

The authors said this new non-invasive technique represents a powerful new tool for measuring the success of future conservation efforts.

"This study is a breakthrough in the science of counting tiger numbers, which is a key yardstick for measuring conservation success," said noted tiger scientist Dr. Ullas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

"The technique will allow researchers to establish baseline numbers on tiger populations in places where they have never been able to accurately count them before," he added.

The study took place in India's Bandipur Reserve in Karnataka, a longterm WCS research site in the Western Ghats that supports a high abundance of tigers.

Researchers collected 58 tiger scats following rigorous protocols; then identified individual animals through their DNA.

Tiger populations were then estimated using sophisticated computer models.

These results were validated against camera trap data, where individual tigers are photographed automatically and identified by their unique stripe pattern.

Camera-trapping is considered the gold standard in tiger population estimation, but is impractical in several areas where tiger densities are low or field conditions too rugged.

According to Karanth, "We see genetic sampling as a valuable additional tool for estimating tiger abundance in places like the Russian Far East, Sunderban mangrove swamps and dense rainforests of Southeast Asia where camera trapping might be impractical due to various environmental and logistical constraints."

 

[RPK]

fullstory

Rare butterfly species sighted in Assam

Kokrajhar (Assam), Aug 31 (PTI) A rare species of butterfly, believed to be extinct, has been sighted and documented in Assam's Kokrajhar district.

Researcher Kushal Choudhury who spotted the Yellow-Crested Spangle (Papilio elephenor), last sighted hundred years ago, photographed and documented it at Phipsu in Ripu-Chirang reserve forest in the district.

This is the first-ever photograph of the live species to be taken in the world after it was first recorded by naturalist C T Bingham in 1907, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife Division) Sonali Ghosh said.

Choudhury said he had documented the butterfly on May 22 in the Ripu-Chirang reserve forest.

The species is included in the red data book (list of species whose continued existence is threatened) of the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources.

Choudhury has been studying swallow-tail butterflies on the north bank of river Brahmaputra from Sonkosh to Dhansiri river since 2002.

 

[RPK]

Turtle thought to be extinct spotted in Myanmar

fullstory

Bangkok, Sept 7 (AP) The rare Arakan forest turtle, once though to be extinct, has been rediscovered in a remote forest in Myanmar, boosting chances of saving the reptile after hunting almost destroyed its population, researchers said today.

Texas researcher Steven Platt and staff from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society discovered five of the brown-and-tan-spotted turtles in May during a survey of wildlife in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary.

The sanctuary contains thick stands of impenetrable bamboo forests, with the only trails made by the park's elephants, said Platt, of Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas.

Plat said he and his team were able to reach the area only by small boat and endured round-the-clock torrential rains and bands of leeches before finding their first Arakan turtle on May 31.

 

[RPK]

Researchers have spotted a rare tree snake in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, the scientific nomenclature and biology of which is not exactly known.


"The Boulenger's Bronzeback tree snake is a rare species with its taxonomic nomenclature still uncertain. It is known in a handful of locations in the Western Ghats, including Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa, Anshi National Park in Karnataka and forests of Amboli and Matheran in Maharashtra," environmentalist Nirmal Kulkarni said.

The snake was documented by Kulkarni and his assistant Namdeo Naik while it was swallowing a Malabar gliding frog in the Mhadei sanctuary, located 750 metres above the sea level.

The environmentalist said, elsewhere, the snake has been reported from Sri Lanka.
"Very little is known of the taxonomy, behaviour and biology of this elusive and shy tree snake," he said.

He said the snake was observed stalking a foam nest of a Malabar gliding frog and subsequently capturing a female frog on a wild Jamun tree at a height of approximately 14 feet above the ground near a water body.

"The tree snake swallowed the gliding frog and the entire process took one hour ten minutes during which field observations and photo documentary evidences were collected for further study. Climate data recorded humidity at 82 per cent and temperature at 28 degrees Centigrade on that day," Kulkarni said.

Images and other information on this observation have been sent to various scientific institutions and independent researchers for identification, he said. The Mhadei region, spread over Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka, is home to an array of lesser known and yet important Herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians).

Many rare and endemic species have been reported from this region, acknowledged as a hot spot for lesser-known wildlife creatures by researchers in the country.


Rare tree snake spotted in Goa wildlife sanctuary

 

[natarajan]

More places identified for housing cheetah

Three more states joined the list of probable places for the release of the cheetah if and when the big cat eventually finds its way into the country.

Joining the list of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The working group formed for chalking out the management and release protocol of the cheetah on Thursday recommended the Bijapur-Solapur area as a place that "can be looked into". Areas in Andhra Pradesh were also recommended.

Interestingly, the working group identified fresh areas in Rajasthan too, either for the release of the cat or creating a holding facility. The Shahgarh Bulge near the border, the group felt, could be used for the purpose. "The area is spread over more than 2,000 sq km and has less than 15 settlements," it said.

Another area under consideration for the release of the cat in the state is the 9,000-sq km Chandan grasslands, also situated near the border. However, the assistance of the army would be required for this. The Bara Bakar areas in Jodhpur spread over 25 sq km could be suited for a holding facility, the group felt.

Other places identified with potential for housing of the cheetah are the 200-sq km Banni and the 440-sq km Narayan Sarovar in Gujarat with Jambudia Vidi as an area for a captive facility. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the Sanjay-Dhubri-Ghasi Das area, Nauradehi and Kuno-Palpur areas are also identified.

However, as these do not make an exhaustive list of places, more would be identified, out of which 4 sites would be shortlisted.

The meeting also identified South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and UAE as places from where the cheetah could be brought to India. "About 5 to 10 animals annually have to be brought to India over a period of 5 to 10 years," another working group, formed on sourcing and translocation of the cheetah, recommended.

Summing up the session at the outset, Wildlife Trust of India chairman M K Ranhitsinh said that the meeting had resolved at least two issues: there would be no breeding centre and a soft release would be done.

"All other recommendations from the various working groups will be combined for preparing a final roadmap for bringing the cheetah back to India. We would then hand over the roadmap to the government for a final decision," he said.

Source

 

[natarajan]

Nest-Making Little Frog Found In Indian Rain Forests

A Delhi University researcher has found, for the first time in Asia, a rare species of frogs making leaf nest to lay eggs.

Dr SD Biju of Delhi University says the discovery of this "rare and endemic species" was made in 2000 in the rainforests of the Western Ghats mountain range in the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka.

The scientist visited the breeding sites for several monsoon months and established the first report from Asia about frogs making leaf nests. "Getting a complete sequence of nesting events is not a simple thing!" admits Dr Biju.

The behavior of the Rhacophorus lateralis is not usual in frogs. These tiny amphibians, which measure up to 12 cm (about 5 inches) in length, make their nests after laying eggs in order to protect them from predators and heat. They roll leaves from top to bottom in order to make a cocoon and produce a sticky substance to close the ends to secure the eggs.

They are different from American and African leaf-nesting frogs since they make their nests after the females have laid the eggs.

The R. lateralis is an endangered species, seriously threatened by coffee as well as other plantations. They are progressively loosing their habitat in the forest. Thereby, "a better understanding of the breeding biology of this frog is critical for its conservation management." Dr Biju, an associate professor of the School of Environmental Studies in Delhi University
source

 

[natarajan]

Gujarat leads country in vulture conservation

One of the biggest challenges to wildlife and ecological conservation today is not sustaining the Asiatic Lion population, but in controlling the rapidly depleting vulture population across the state of Gujarat. While the forest officials' announcement that Gujarat leads the country in efforts for vulture conservation ushers in relief, activists highlight a counter perspective that the efforts undertaken are not nearly enough.


According to the 2007 census, the vulture population halved to 1,400 from the previous census of 2005. A vulture breeding centre at the Sakkarbaug Zoo has been readied; two feeding sites for the birds in Surat and Mahuva each are operational; constant monitoring of roosting sites is done by committed activists; several awareness campaigns are underway in panjrapole and farmers to stop the use of pain-relieving medicine Diclofenac, and compensation is given to farmers in whose farms vultures roost.

"Despite these initiatives, the avian population is reducing at an alarming rate, and it wouldn't be surprising if the vultures disappear altogether in another two years," says Kartik Shastri, assistant coordinator of the Vulture Cell of the Birds Conservation Society of Gujarat (BCSG). He lamented that despite fervent awareness campaigns, people just do not replace Diclofenac with Meloxicam, a painkiller for animals.

A unique concept of a feeding site spread over an area of 300-400 sq meters is being operational in Hazira near Surat, maintained by Surat-based NGO, Surat Nature Club. Here carcasses are brought from a nearby village, where they NGO provides non-Diclofenac medicines for the farmers' livestock. "Around 50-80 birds visit the site everyday. A similar site is being developed in Mahuva, but it is not yet fully operational. Last week, 50 vultures visited the site after a carcass was dumped there," said Snehal Patel, a member of SNC.

In Ahmedabad, efforts are under way to develop a feeding site at Dabasa, but each carcass is first claimed by dogs and pigs, before vultures can swoop on it. Moreover, skinning of the carcass by locals is also a serious concern cited by conservationists. "At least 25 vultures were reported injured or dead in city after Uttarayan this year," says Varun Parikh, a volunteer with BCSG in Ahmedabad.
source

 

[Sabir]

Thanks Natarajan for your posting on Cheetahs. After the plan to bring a pair of Ashiatic Cheetahs from Iran foiled couple of years ago (Iran Considered artificial breeding is unislamic) it is nice to see efforts are still on the way. But Cheetahs from African countries would be genetically different from those who used to roam the grassland of India even a century ago. Anyway, something is better than nothing.

Effort should be made to transfer some lions from Gir to other parts of the country too (of course where Tigers are not present). But Gujrat Government is against any such plan. Stupid morons.

 

[natarajan]

BIOLOGICAL MYSTERIES Spawning secrets of eels revealed

A team of biologists, using satellite tags, has revealed the migration secrets of eels, as to where they go and what they do after leaving their rivers.
The European eel’s migration to the Sargasso Sea to spawn is one of nature’s great unsolved mysteries.
According to a report by BBC News, scientists using satellite tags have tracked 22 eels, revealing what they do in the first 1,300km of an epic 5,000km migration.
Using this method, biologists hope the whole journey to the Sargasso Sea will soon be revealed.
The tracking study provides unique insights into the migratory behaviour of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), including the direction and depth the eels swim.
It’s one of the last great remaining biological mysteries because the spawning site has been found in the Sargasso Sea, but no adult eels has ever been found in the ocean.
“It’s exciting data because no-one has managed to do this before,” said Dr David Righton from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) in Lowestoft, UK, a member of the multinational team that undertook the study.
“People have often speculated about which direction eels may take, how they might travel, so what we’ve been able to show is which of those speculations are actually right,” he added.
In 2006, the team attached miniaturized pop-up satellite tags to 22 large adult eels which they released from the coast of Galway, western Ireland.
The tags record not only the location of the eel, but also the daily activity of the eel, recording speed, depth and direction. The tags are set to “pop off” after six months and float to the ocean surface, sending data via satellite back to the research team. ANI

source:TOI

 

[enlightened1]

Bengal White Tiger in eating frenzy

 

[enlightened1]

Animals in the womb

A baby kangaroo in its mother's pouch, where it will stay for six months before it hops into the world

An Emperor penguin chick embryo inside its egg after about one week's gestation

After about five weeks in the womb, this lemon shark embyo has started growing gills

This baby kitten is just a week away from being born

A Chihuahua foetus in the womb during the final week of pregnancy​

 

[enlightened1]

Photographers get up close and personal with wildlife

Compelling: The judges awarded photographer Ross Hoddinott first prize for his image of a damselfly silhouette

Lorne Gill took this image of birds circling above a petrol station called 'The ultimate flock' by Lorne Gill

Ben Hall won praise for his Fallow buck at dawn image

A photo of blackbirds fighting was taken by David Slater who won the wildlife behaviour category

Will Nicholls won the Young British Wildlife Photographer Under 18 award for his image of a red squirrel taken in Kielder Forest, Northumberland

A grey seal was captured through the skills of Alexander Mustard who won the Coast and Marine category

The winner of the Animals Portraits award went to Ben Hall for his Gannet portrait

The winner of the category 'Wildlife in my locality' was this image of a canal by Noel Bennet​

 

[enlightened1]

Masters of Disguise

A Green frog emerging from the duckweeds in St Omer, France

A Mimic Octopus blends into the sand off the coast of the Maldives

A Harlequin Crab blends in seamlessly as it stands on a sea cucumber in Indonesia

A Pacific spotted scorpionfish off Malpelo, in the Pacific Ocean

A Grizzly bear hides in the snow-covered bushes of North America

A young Marine crocodile hides under a water lily in Australia

A Malaysian orchid mantis blends perfectly with a flower

A Locust mimicks a blade of grass in Burkina Faso

A Grey Cicada hides on pine bark in France

A Rock Ptarmigan chick in its nest in Norway​

 

[enlightened1]

A Crab spider hides on a Geranium flower in France

A Pale-throated three-toed sloth climbs a tree trunk is Costa Rica

Merlet's Scorpionfish look like colourful coral around the shores of Lifou Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia​

 

[enlightened1]

The heaviest synchronised swimming team in the world.

 

[enlightened1]

Cute Polar Bears