Why in the news? Two species of ginger have been found in Arunachal Pradesh by Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute of Plant Sciences researchers. Hedychium mechukanum It is a close relative of white ginger lily which is mentioned in Mahabharata. …
Aldabra Giant Tortoise The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea), one of the largest tortoise species on Earth, is endemic to the Aldabra atoll, Seychelles. It has been given VULNERABLE status by IUCN. These tortoises can live upto 200 years. Once …
What is the Red List of IUCN? The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. It uses a set of quantitative criteria to evaluate the …
Blue Whales Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have lived on Earth. These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans at up to 100 feet long and upwards of 200 tons. According to IUCN, they are put under …
About Giant Panda The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China. The Pandas subsist …
About Great Indian Bustard It is CRITICALLY ENDANGERED bird, only 150 of them are left in the wild in India. Only two districts in Rajasthan — Jaisalmer and Barmer — have a breeding GIB population in the wild. The bird …
Why in News? Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has released the Status of Leopards report. According to the report, there has been an increase in Tiger, Lion & Leopards numbers over the last few years. …
Himalayan trillium It is famously called Nag Chatri and found at an altitude of 2,400-4,000 metres above sea level. It is a slow growing plant. It can be found in the countries India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In …
About Kolleru lake It is a natural eutrophic lake (a lake with high productivity, high nutrients and with dark water. The water is usually not good for drinking purpose) in Andhra Pradesh, situated between the two major river basins of …
About Amur Falcon The Amur falcon is a small raptor (Raptor is a bird which preys on other small animals) of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India and …