- VIDEO: Tamil Yeoman, Cirrochroa thais (Fabricius)
Adults of many species of butterflies supplement their nectar diet with supplies rich in minerals. They settle on mud puddles, rotting fruits, carrion and animal excreta for such nutrients. In many species, this behaviour is restricted to the males. The nutrients collected thus are provided to the females, as a nuptial gift along with the spermatophore, during mating. These are then processed by the females and invested in producing more or bigger, nutrient rich eggs. As human sweat contains salt, they some times even land on human body, and through their proboscis consume the tiny drops of sweat oozing from hair follicles. This video is on one such act of the Tamil Yeoman, Cirrochroa thais [a nymphalid butterfly, endemic to Western Ghats and Sri Lanka], recorded at the Anackampoil Reserve Forest in Kozhikode District, Kerala by the scientists of WGRC/ ZSI, Kozhikode. - VIDEO: Malabar Whistling thrush, Myophonus horsfieldii
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The bird, Myophonus horsfieldii Vigors, is called the Malabar Whistling thrush and the Malabar Whistling Schoolboy due to its ability to produce melodious whistling notes. It is resident in the Western Ghats and associated hills in peninsular India. It is a medium sized bird. Adults are 25cm long, dark blue in colour with a blacker head and back. They are usually found in dark undergrowth and dense riverine forests. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of frogs, insects, earthworms and berries [Videographed at Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, by the scientists of SRC, Chennai]. - VIDEO: Total Solar Eclipse (July 22, 2009)
The longest total solar eclipse of century was visible in India on July 22, 2009 from early morning 05:28 hrs to 07:40 hrs. The eclipse was reported to be total in Surat (Gujarat), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Darjeeling (West Bengal), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Patna (Bihar) and Northeastern States and lasted nearly four minutes from 6.26 am to 6.30 am. However, the great majority of the remaining areas of the country witnessed only a partial eclipse. It was the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century wherever viewed, and is considered never to be surpassed in duration, for the next 123 years [Videographed at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh by the scientists of APRC/ZSI, Itanagar]. - VIDEO: King Cobra
The King Cobra, Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor), also known as Hamadryad, is the largest venomous snake in the world. It is an olive green or brown snake with indistinct lighter crossbars across the back. Adults can attain a length of 5 to 6m. King Cobras feed on other snakes and occasionally, monitor lizards. It is unique in being the only known snake in the world that builds a nest for its young [Videographed at Thusharagiri, a lowland evergreen forest area of Western Ghats in Kozhikode district, Kerala by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Kozhikode]. - >VIDEO: Parental care in Beddome´s Caecilian
Caecilians are limbless amphibians. They exhibit parental care. The female coils around the egg clutch and periodically rotate it, till the eggs hatch. The mother caecilian does not take any food during the parental care period. The Beddomes Caecilian, Ichthyophis beddomei, is known to have25 to 38 eggs in an egg clutch. Egg size ranges from 6 mm at the time of laying to 12 mm at the time of hatching. Eggs generally hatch in 60 to 90 days. A newly hatched one possesses 3 pairs of external pinnate gills [Videographed at Kalpetta, Wynad district, Kerala, by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Kozhikode]. - VIDEO: INDIAN PORCUPINE, Hystrix indica Kerr
Porcupines are unique among rodents by the presence of long spines called quills on their body. The quills, which may attain a length of 30cm, are mostly confined to the back and tail of the animal. The quills are modified hairs. Contrary to the common belief, porcupines are not capable of shooting quills at their enemies. Porcupines become active after dusk. They live in burrows dug by them. They feed mainly on roots, tubers, fruits etc. Porcupines have the habit of gnawing the bones and shed antlers of deers in order to enable them to restore the calcium loss suffered by the shedding of their quills [Videographed at Pandimotta area of the Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kollam district, Kerala, by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Kozhikode]. - VIDEO: Mountain Weasel
The Mountain Weasel, Mustela altaica Pallas, inhabits the mixed taiga, highland steppes and rocky outcrops in the Himalayan environs at elevations ranging from 3500 to 5000m. Its distribution extends from Pakistan to Tibet, Bhutan, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan. The animal is generally crepuscular/nocturnal and predatory in habit. It is considered a regulator of small mammal populations, mainly mice and voles. The Mountain Weasel is a Near Threatened Animal (IUCN Red List July, 2009) and is placed in Schedule II Part II of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Appendix III of CITES (July, 2009) [Videographed at Ladakh by G. Thirumalai, Scientist-F, SRC, Chennai]. - VIDEO: Nest building in Six lined Tree Frog
The Six lined Tree Frog, Polypedates leucomystax (Gravenhorst), is a rhacophorid frog, widely distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia. Breeding in this species takes place with the onset of rains. The females make foam nests which protect the eggs from adverse conditions and the eggs are laid inside these and the males fertilize them. In the wild, these nests are attached to the vegetation over water bodies. Once the eggs hatch and develop, and on disintegration of the foam nest in the rain, the larvae falls in to the water and metamorphoses into adults. The video clipping shows a female that was trapped inside the Forest Guest house at Tura, West Garo Hills, Meghalaya [Videographed by Mrs. Rosamma Mathew, former scientist of NERC/ZSI, Shillong]. - VIDEO: TIBETAN WILD ASS
The Kiang or Tibetan wild ass, Equus kiang Moorcroft is the largest of the wild asses, inhabiting open flats, rolling plains, deserts, semi deserts or steppes with drinking water sources. Its geographical range includes Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim in India, where altitudes vary between 3500 and 4850 m. it is also found in Tibetan part of China, and Pakistan and Nepal. Kiang feeds mainly on coarse grasses and plants. The animal is listed in Schedule I (part I) of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. According to IUCN, it is a Data Deficient Species (Globally) and Vulnerable (Nationally). It is also listed in Appendix II of CITES [Videographed at Ladakh by G. Thirumalai, Scientist-F, SRC, Chennai]. - VIDEO: Pride of India Expo
WGRC/ZSI, Calicut stall in the ´Pride of India Expo´ of the 97th Indian Science Congress, held at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, from 3rd to 7th January 2010. - VIDEO: Common Bronzeback tree snake, Dendrelaphis tristis (Daudin)
This long, slender smooth scaled snake has a distinctly broad head beset with large eyes and round pupil. Scales on belly and tail have sharply folded upward outer edge. Body, bronze brown in colour with brownish black stripes on eitherside. Tongue blue. When excited, the snake inflates its neck and body exhibiting the steely blue interscalar colour. The snake is diurnal, usually arboreal (occupying low bushes and thorny trees) and feeds on frogs, lizards and small birds. The species is found throughout India. [Videographed at Pachamalai Hills, Eastern Ghats by the scientists of SRC/ZSI, Chennai]. - VIDEO: Himalayan Marmot, Marmota himalayana (Daudin)
The Himalayan Marmot, Marmota himalayana (Hodgson), is a ground dwelling squirrel, found from 3500 to 5200m elevations in the Himalayan tracts of Ladakh, Kashmir, Garhwal and Sikkim in India. It is also found in similar habitats in Nepal, parts of Tibet (China), and Pakistan. It is extremely vocal. It lives in large colonies and excavates deep burrows in open grassy fields on gentle mountain slopes. It is diurnal in habit. The animal feeds predominantly on grasses and herbs. Auto-caecotrophy (ingestion of caecal feces for nutritional purposes) is also common. This mammal is listed under Schedule II (part II) of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, amended up to 2002 and Appendix III of CITES. [Videographed at Ladakh by G. Thirumalai, Scientist-F, SRC, Chennai]. - VIDEO: The Red-necked Keelback, Rhabdophis subminiatus
The Red-necked Keelback, Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837) is a medium sized colubrid snake found never close to ponds and small streams in wet forests, swamps, paddy fields, grasslands and marshes at elevations upto 1780 m above sea level. In India, the snake is distributed throughout North East India, North Bengal and Sikkim. Outside India, it is found in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and South East Asia. The snake is diurnal and terrestrial in habit. When cornered the snake raises its anterior body and displays a narrow hood. It feeds mainly on frogs, lizards, fishes and small mammals. The snake is mildly venomous. Conservation status: Vulnerable [Videographed by the scientists of NERC/ZSI, Shillong]. - VIDEO: Reddish Burrowing Frog , Fejervarya rufescens
The Reddish Burrowing Frog, Fejervarya rufescens, is a medium sized frog having brown to dark brown dorsum with red makings. This is a burrowing frog, often found below the logs and stones. It has its inner and outer metatarsal tubercles on its hind limbs developed in shovel shape which functions as digging appendages. In the rainy season, males occupy the edges of water pools and display chorus calls for mate selection. The call of this frog has higher frequency when compared to that of the other Indian burrowing frogs. The species is found in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala and is endemic to Western Ghats, India. [Videographed by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Kozhikode (Calicut)]. - VIDEO: Monopterus digressus Gopi
Monopterus is a genus of fish in the Synbranchidae (Swamp eel) family. Monopterus digressus was described by K. C. Gopi, Scientist of WGRC, ZSI, Calicut in 2002. The species was collected from a homestead well at Kuthiravattom, a suburban locality in Calicut, Kerala. It is a small, blind species. Its body is slim, naked, sub-cylindrically elongate and cord-like. Its head is moderately conspicuous, with muscular occiput. Body colour in life is blood-red and the caudal extremity transparent, making visible the vertebral column and blood vessels [Videographed at WGRC/ZSI, Calicut]. - VIDEO: First instar nymphs of praying mantis, Euantissa pulchra (Fabricius)
Praying mantids are carnivorous insects. Ootheca (Egg case) of Euantissa pulchra (a common bush inhabiting mantid) is about 2 cm in length and 0.7 cm in width with an elongate pyramidal shape and is commonly found on the glass panels and walls of buildings. The shape and size of ootheca varies in mantids and is of some value in the identification of the species. The newly hatched First instar nymphs mimic black ants and appear entirely different from their adults, which are bright green in colour. They start moving fast in search of food within a short period of time, soon after emergence [Videographed at Calicut, by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Calicut]. - VIDEO: Malayan Box Turtle, Cuora amboinensis (Daudin, 1802)
The Malayan Box Turtle is a strongly web-footed aquatic Box turtle which grows over 20cm in length. It inhabits lowland aquatic habitats, marshes, ponds, flooded paddy fields etc. and feeds on vegetation, worms and slugs. It is distributed throughout Northeast India, Southeast Asia and in some of the Phillippine Islands. The species is included in Appendix II of CITES. As per IUCN Red list 2006, its status is Vulnerable [Videographed at Tokpaching Bamon Leikai, Thoubal Dist., Manipur, by A. B. Meetei, NERC/ZSI, Shillong]. - VIDEO: Nadkarni´s caecilian, Gegeneophis nadkarnii Bhatta and Prashanth
Gegeneophis nadkarnii is a member of the endemic Indian genus Gegeneophis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Its type-locality is Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa. The species is also common in the surroundings of Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Chorla, Surla and Maan villages bordering Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka States. It is a medium sized caecilian. Its body length ranges from 172 to 290 mm. and width 18 to 30 mm at maturity. Its body is uniformly dark in colour dorsally and light grey ventrally. Skin is profusely glandular. [Videographed at Chorla Ghats, Goa, by the scientists of WGRC/ZSI, Calicut]. - VIDEO: The Golden Langur, Trachypithecus geei
The Golden Langur, Trachypithecus geei, was discovered in 1953. It is one of the most endangered primate species of India. The name, Golden Langur, is named after its rich golden to bright creamish pelage. Golden Langurs are more active in the morning and evening, resting during the heat of midday. Socially, they usually live in troops of about 8. Females give birth to a single young. The species occurs, natuarally, only in Bhutan and north-eastern India (Assam) in the world. In Assam, it is found in Manas National Park and Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary [Videographed by the scientists of NERC/ZSI, Shillong]. - VIDEO: Double-spotted Red-webbed Tree Frog, Rhacophorus bipunctatus Ahl
The Double-spotted Red-webbed Tree Frog, Rhacophorus bipunctatus Ahl, 1927, is a medium sized frog found in India, China, Myanmar and the adjacent Southeast Asian countries. In India, it is found in the North Eastern States. It was originally described from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India. The species is arboreal, dwelling in closed-canopy forests or forest edges. It makes foam nests on trees overhanging water bodies [Videographed by the scientists of NERC/ZSI, Shillong]. - VIDEO: Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)
Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the fastest of the terrestrial animals reaching to speeds of up to 80 km/h. Males and females have distinctive coloration. Male bucks are distinctly black and white and have long twisted horns. Females are fawn coloured with no horns [videographed at Buxar in Bihar by Dr. Gopal Sharma, GPRC/ZSI, Patna].