In the last four decades, dugong (Dugong dugon) aggregations have been rarely reported from the geographically isolated, vast seascape of the Andaman Islands, India. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, hunting, coastal development, and habitat loss are the major causes of this change in the social system of dugongs in …
Rare sighting:The largest mammals on Earth seen off the Mangalore coast. KOCHI: Two blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest mammals on Earth, were recently spotted off the Mangalore coast during a marine survey carried out by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi. They were sighted
Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world’s vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: on average, 52 species of mammals, birds …
Sudha Nambudiri KOCHI: As an indication of changing species in the Indian Ocean, Steno Bredanensis, a dolphin species not found in deep warm and tropical waters, has been identified for the first time after 100 years, in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Studies during 1997-2010 have identified six species …
A hundred years ago, humans almost exterminated all large mammals in Norway. Government protection has since ensured the overwhelming return of species, only to result in a newer problem: CONFLICT.
Conservation efforts often focus on large and charismatic animals such as the tiger and elephant that are undoubtedly in urgent need of protection. Hwever, there are a host of species that do not rank very high on the conservation totem pole, although they are also under great threat and are …
The Doboka-Silchar National Highway (NH-54E) in the northeastern Indian state of Assam is proposed to be upgraded into a four-lane highway. This highway bisects the Lumding Reserve Forest. The course of proposed expanded highway is planned almost in the same alignment of the existing road with smoother and flatter horizontal …
The future of the world's biodiversity hangs in the balance as countries convene for crucial negotiations in Nagoya, Japan. The 193 signatory nations to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) pledged eight years ago to cut species loss "significantly" by this year. But studies show that the health of global …
In line with the request of the Twelfth Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, this report follows the outline set out in the document Format and content of future status and trends reports on animal genetic resources. The analysis is based on FAO
Guwahati, Sept. 26: Wildlife researchers have discovered an amazing range of bio-diversity, including a toad at 4,200 metres (nearly 14,000 feet), tucked away among the high altitude wetland complex of Nagula in Tawang. Field researchers of WWF-India (western Arunachal landscape), G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development of North …
Tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in northwest Alaska because the sea ice they normally rest on has melted. U.S. government scientists say this massive move to shore by walruses is unusual in the United States. But it has happened at least twice before, in 2007 and 2009. …
THE little brown bat seen roosting in the eaves of buildings, crevices in trees and caves across North America could go extinct by 2026. So could several other bat species. Researchers warn that a cold-loving fungus is quietly attacking the bats in hibernation, waking them up in mid-winter. Once they …
Southeast Asia is recognized as a region of very high biodiversity, much of which is currently at risk due to habitat loss and other threats. However, many aspects of this diversity, even for relatively well-known groups such as mammals, are poorly known, limiting ability to develop conservation plans. This study …
Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used for extrapolation, or predicting suitable regions for species under new geographic or temporal scenarios. However, SDM predictions may be prone to errors if species are not at equilibrium with climatic conditions in the current range and if training samples are not representative. Here …
Climate change can affect the phenology, population dynamics and morphology of species, but it is difficult to study all these factors and their interactions at once. Using long-term data for individual yellow-bellied marmots, these authors show that climate change has increased the length of the marmot growing season, leading to …
Conservation planners represent many aspects of biodiversity by using surrogates with spatial distributions readily observed or quantified, but tests of their effectiveness have produced varied and conflicting results. We identified four factors likely to have a strong influence on the apparent effectiveness of surrogates: (1) the choice of surrogate; (2) …
The pristine forest of Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) in Kalimpong hills, Darjeeling district, which has formed an ecological trijunction with Sikkim and Bhutan, is the last virgin wilderness in West Bengal. It is one of the oldest (1881) reserve forests in India. Since this area has been put under …
Many large mammals became extinct worldwide at the end of the Pleistocene epoch, around 12,000 years ago. Here, it is shown that smaller mammals, which often provide much more comprehensive fossil records than large mammals, were much less likely to respond to the Pleistocene
A set of easy-to-use species identification guides designed to help Southeast Asian CITES Management Authorities, Police, Customs and other enforcement officers as they inspect shipments of wildlife and derivative products.
Small mammals are more at risk from global warming than previously thought, biologists have claimed. "We were interested in the small animals because we wanted to know about the response of the survivors, the communities of animals that are still on the landscape with us today," lead researcher Elizabeth Hadly …
