From Asiatic lion to pygmy hog, 10 unique Indian animal species found nowhere else on Earth
India's rich biodiversity is, undoubtedly, one of its greatest natural treasures. From majestic big cats to elusive amphibians, the country is home to an array of species, some of which exist nowhere else on Earth. Here are 10 extraordinary species found only in India, and where you can spot them:
Gir National Park in Gujarat is home to Asiatic Lions. Different from their African counterparts, these big cats come with a larger tuft tail, folded skin on the abdomen and thinner curls on their head.
Found only in Manipur's Keibul Lamjao National Park, they are also known as 'dancing deers' owing to their habit of jumping through floating grassland habitats (phumdi).
Also known as Nilgir Sholakilis, this stunning songbird is found in Shola forests of the Western Ghats and the hills of Southern India. It boasts of bright blue plumage, white belly feathers, and a black tail with an orange tip.
Spotted in Dachigam National Park in Kashmir and sometimes in the northern Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, this subspecies of red deer is also known as Hangul.
A visit to Manas National Park of Assam will get you closer to the world's smallest and rarest wild pig. With a population less than 250, these creatures thrive in wet grasslands and are capable of building their own homes with a roof from scratch.
Also known as Nilgir Sholakilis, this stunning songbird found in Shola forests of the Western Ghats and the hills of Southern India, boasts of bright blue plumage, white belly feathers, and a black tail with an orange tip.
With a population of 3750 today, they are found in parts of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar.
This animal features a dark coat and sturdy build, thriving in dense forests of the Andaman Islands. Having adapted to the island life, it sustains itself on roots, fruits and small invertebrates found in the tropical region.
The Purple Frog has a bloated body, small head, and pointed snout. What makes it stand out from the rest is its retro purple hue. A resident of the Western Ghats, this amphibian spends most of its life underground, surfacing only for a few days during monsoon to breed.
Native to the Nicobar Islands, this ground-dwelling bird is known for its unique nesting behaviour. Instead of incubating eggs with body heat, it buries them in warm sand or decomposing vegetation to hatch.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
6 hours ago
- Business Standard
Trump's new travel ban takes effect amid immigration enforcement tensions
President Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the US by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the US and don't hold a valid visa. The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all US diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travellers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the US even after the ban takes effect. During Trump's first term, a hastily written executive order ordering the denial of entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries created chaos at numerous airports and other ports of entry, prompting successful legal challenges and major revisions to the policy. In the hours after the new ban took effect, no disruptions were immediately discernible at Los Angeles International Airport. And passengers appeared to move steadily through an international arrival area at Miami International Airport, where Magda Moreno and her husband flew home Monday from Cuba. Everything was normal," said Moreno, a Cuban American who had travelled to the Caribbean island nation to visit family. "They only asked me where I was coming from and how many days I was in Cuba. Asked about the new travel restrictions for Cubans, Moreno, a US citizen, said: It is difficult not being able to bring the family and for them not being able to enter into the US. Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, who was at the airport earlier Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the US are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest. I have family in Haiti, so it's pretty upsetting to see and hear, Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's very upsetting. Many immigration experts say the new ban is more carefully crafted and appears designed to beat court challenges that hampered the first by focusing on the visa application process. Trump said this time that some countries had deficient screening for passports and other public documents or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. He relied extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of people who remain in the US after their visas expired. Measuring overstay rates has challenged experts for decades, but the government has made a limited attempt annually since 2016. Trump's proclamation cites overstay rates for eight of the 12 banned countries. Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. US officials say the man charged in the attack overstayed a tourist visa. He is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The ban was quickly denounced by groups that provide aid and resettlement help to refugees. This policy is not about national security it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States, said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organisation. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban does make exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade-long war there. Afghanistan had been one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Protest in Los Angeles today against Donald Trump latest updates: Tension escalates, ban on travel to USA takes effect
Protests in Los Angeles escalated as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd. Trump administration's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect on Monday amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement. Donald Trump Travel Ban The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don't hold a valid visa. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you eat ginger every day for a month, your body will experience the following phenomena Tips and Tricks Undo The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the U.S. even after the ban takes effect. Protest against Donald Trump Live Events Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who don't leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 Freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. Sunday's protests in Los Angeles, a sprawling city of 4 million people, were centered in several blocks of downtown. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 Guard troops spurred anger and fear among many residents, AP reported. The Guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention center where protesters concentrated. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were 'overwhelmed' by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble, as per AP report. Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers. FAQs Q1. Who is President of USA? A1. President of USA is Donald Trump. Q2. What does new proclamation say? A2. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Trump's new travel ban takes effect as tensions escalate over immigration enforcement
Travellers cart their luggage through the international arrivals area at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles (Image credit: AP) US President Donald Trump 's new ban on travel to the US by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the US and don't hold a valid visa. The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all US diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the US even after the ban takes effect. During Trump's first term, a hastily written executive order ordering the denial of entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries created chaos at numerous airports and other ports of entry, prompting successful legal challenges and major revisions to the policy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo No such disruption was immediately discernible at Los Angeles International Airport in the hours after the new ban took effect. Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, who was at the airport earlier Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the US are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest. "I have family in Haiti, so it's pretty upsetting to see and hear," Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. "I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's very upsetting." Many immigration experts say the new ban is more carefully crafted and appears designed to beat court challenges that hampered the first by focusing on the visa application process. Trump said this time that some countries had "deficient" screening for passports and other public documents or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. He relied extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of people who remain in the U.S. after their visas expired. Measuring overstay rates has challenged experts for decades, but the government has made a limited attempt annually since 2016. Trump's proclamation cites overstay rates for eight of the 12 banned countries. Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. US officials say the man charged in the attack overstayed a tourist visa. He is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The ban was quickly denounced by groups that provide aid and resettlement help to refugees. "This policy is not about national security - it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States," said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban does make exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade-long war there. Afghanistan had been one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office.
