Latest news with #JournalofThreatenedTaxa
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Shepherds' advice leads to first-of-its-kind mammal sighting in India. See it
Near an agricultural area in western India, a scaly mammal went about its night, likely searching for food or water. Unbeknownst to it, a nearby trail camera documented its passing. The encounter turned out to be a first-of-its-kind sighting for the area. A team of scientists set out 'inventory the mammal community and its diversity patterns across the Rajkot District of Gujarat' using trail cameras, according to a study published May 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. As part of the project, researchers set up a pair of trail cameras near a specific hill chosen based on 'local knowledge provided by shepherds who routinely bring their livestock to a nearby water source,' the study said. Sure enough, one of the cameras photographed and 'successfully documented the presence of a pangolin' — the district's 'first observation of (an) Indian pangolin,' researchers said. The photo, taken in July 2024, shows the scaly back of the pangolin and a portion of its tail. Pangolins are considered the world's most trafficked mammal. Found in Asia and Africa, 'all pangolin species have experienced a drastic decline in populations, primarily because of hunting and illegal international trade,' the study said. Indian pangolins, an endangered species 'widely distributed throughout much of' India, are 'often killed due to the belief that they dig up graves and pull out the buried dead bodies' or because farmers believe the animals are 'damaging their crops,' researchers said. Generally, pangolins are shy and elusive animals, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The pangolin seen in Rajkot District, Gujarat, 'indicates the possibility of the persistence of the population in the region,' the study said. Researchers suggested further surveys of the animal, its distribution and its preferred habitats. Rajkot District is in central Gujarat, the westernmost state in India and along the border with Pakistan. The research team included Aum Agravat, Vikram Aditya, Shreya Pandey, Bhavin Patel, Rushi Pathak and Aurobindo Samal.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Rare giant crab not seen on tsunami-ravaged island in over 150 years found in remote cave
A rare crab known for its bright blue color and giant size hasn't been spotted on an Indian Ocean island following a deadly tsunami in 2004 – until now, when scientists stumbled upon the massive coconut crab in a cave. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami was generated when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the northern coast of Sumatra. More than 230,000 people across a dozen countries were killed during the tsunami, which is considered one of the deadliest in modern history. The tsunami also devastated many coastal habitats of animals in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, home to a rare and massive crab known as the coconut crab. The coconut crab, or Birgus Latro, is the largest land arthropod and one of the decapod crustaceans. The leg span of one of these crabs can grow up to 3 feet, and an adult crab can weigh up to 11 pounds. Coconut crabs can live up to 60 years and primarily live off scavenging foods from fallen fruits and nuts, including eating through the shells of coconuts. 20 Years Later: A Look At The Deadliest Disaster To Strike Earth In Modern History According to the research paper published this week in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa, the coconut crab had not been spotted on Car Nicobar Island since 1874, but had been sparsely documented on neighboring Nicobar islands. A research team combined the island in 2012 for the elusive crab but came up empty. On April 13, 2024, a single coconut crab was observed inside a limestone cave about 2 miles inland from the coast of Car Nicobar Island. Researchers believe the presence of coconut fruit and litter inside the cave may have attracted the crab. A photo taken by the researchers shows the large crab within some rocks, visible with its bright blue coloring. The team said this sighting is the northernmost recorded crab within the Nicobar Islands. Researchers said the discovery shows that including interior forests and inland caves is crucial in post-tsunami survey article source: Rare giant crab not seen on tsunami-ravaged island in over 150 years found in remote cave
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Huge, blue creature spotted in island cave for first time in decades, shocked scientists reveal
It was a crab-ulous find. Cavers encountered a massive blue crab in a cavern in India, marking the first time the at-risk species had been spotted in the region in 150 years, per a watershed study published May 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. Researchers had been exploring a 'small cave' on Car Nicobar — the northernmost island in the Nicobar archipelago off the subcontinent's east coast — when they inadvertently happened across the blue-gray critter tucked in one of the crevices, the Miami Herald reported. 3 'For species such as coconut crabs, which are rare, elusive, or in challenging environments, incidental sightings provide valuable insights into the species' presence, behavior, or habitat preferences that might otherwise remain undocumented,' researchers wrote. kazucha – The crustacean was a robber crab, the world's largest terrestrial arthropod, capable of growing up to 3 feet long with a maximum weight of 11 pounds. This particular specimen, a male, was only around five inches long and weighed around 2.6 pounds. 3 Car Nicobar Island in the Andaman Sea. zelwanka – The species is perhaps more commonly referred to as the coconut crab, due to its penchant for tearing open the hard-shelled fruit with its nutcracker-like claws, whose pinch has been compared to a lion's bite. While prevalent throughout the Indo-Pacific region, the coconut-crunching crustacean has been pushed to the brink by habitat destruction and other human activities, as well as natural disasters like tsunamis. After the 2004 tsunami pummeled ecosystems across the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, scientists traveled to the region to see what species had survived. 3 Coconut crabs are the largest terrestrial arthropods, capable of weighing up to 11 pounds. REUTERS They found coconut crabs on several islands but not Car Nicobar. This latest sighting marks the first confirmed sighting of the invertebrate on the island since 1874. Scientists believe this particular specimen may have been attracted to the area by a nearby pile of coconuts and human trash, which they noted can prove hazardous as the 'crabs can become entangled or ingest harmful materials.' Unfortunately, locating coconut crabs is challenging due to their nocturnal nature and poorly understood habits. 'For species such as coconut crabs, which are rare, elusive, or in challenging environments, incidental sightings provide valuable insights into the species' presence, behavior, or habitat preferences that might otherwise remain undocumented,' researchers wrote. Perhaps one of the crabs' strangest habits is engaging in 'pillow talk' while making hanky panky. Using X-ray movies and digital audio, Japanese scientists figured out the invertebrates chat each other up clicks and taps at every stage of sex — foreplay, orgasm and even the crustacean equivalent of cuddling afterward.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Cavers find massive creature on remote island for first time in decades. See it
Cavers shined their flashlights along a rock wall of a remote island in India and illuminated a massive creature. Over 150 years of scanty records, a devastating tsunami and failed wildlife searches led up to this moment: the island's first sighting of an at-risk species in decades. A team of scientists visited Car Nicobar Island in April 2024 and started poking around 'a small cave,' according to a study published May 26 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa. To the researcher's surprise, they found a large crab tucked in one of the rocky crevices. Photos show the blue-gray crustacean, identified as a coconut crab or Birgus latro. Coconut crabs are 'the largest land arthropod,' a group that includes spiders, crustaceans and insects, the study said. They can reach over 3 feet across, weigh up to 11 pounds and live up to 60 years. Although 'distributed widely across the Indo-Pacific region,' coconut crabs are considered a vulnerable species, threatened by human activities and 'geological events, such as tsunamis,' researchers said. On Car Nicobar Island, coconut crabs faced both of these threats. In 2004, a tsunami 'extensively devastated coastal habitats across the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago,' an island chain that includes Car Nicobar, the study said. As part of the post-tsunami recovery efforts, scientists traveled the archipelago in 2012 and 2023 surveying what plant and animal life had survived. Coconut crabs were found on several islands — but not Car Nicobar. Until recently, Car Nicobar's only confirmed sighting of a coconut crab came from 1874, the study said. Researchers described their April 2024 sighting as 'incidental' and not part of a larger surveying project. The coconut crab they photographed was an adult male, weighing about 2.6 pounds. Its full size is unknown, but its body measured roughly 5 inches long. The team saw a pile of coconuts nearby and human trash, food sources that 'may have attracted' the crab, the study said. However, 'discarded food packaging and plastic waste pose significant hazards, as crabs can become entangled or ingest harmful materials.' Finding coconut crabs 'remains challenging due to the cryptic nature and nocturnal behaviour of the species,' researchers said. 'For species such as coconut crabs, which are rare, elusive, or in challenging environments, incidental sightings provide valuable insights into the species' presence, behaviour, or habitat preferences that might otherwise remain undocumented.' Car Nicobar Island is part of the Nicobar Archipelago, an island chain off the eastern coast of India and near southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and northern Indonesia. The research team included Mayur Fulmali, Dhanesh Ponnu and Nehru Prabakaran.
The Hindu
04-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
About 61% of Sikkim's butterfly species are in the Dzongu region, study finds
A 10-year study to establish the Dzongu region as one of India's richest butterfly habitats has become a 'gift to the world' in celebration of Sikkim's 50 years of Statehood. Sikkim transitioned from a protectorate to India's 22nd State on May 16, 1975. Sonam Wangchuk Lepcha, a citizen scientist from Noom Panang village in Sikkim's Mangan district, trekked through forests, climbed hills, crossed rivers, and spent days and nights under the open sky between 2016 and 2024 to record 420 species of butterflies in Dzongu. This worked out to 60.95% of about 700 species recorded in Sikkim so far. He published the findings with zoologist Monish Kumar Thapa of the Assam Royal Global University in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. 'Sikkim is known as a global hotspot for butterflies according to the Government of India, but what fills me with more pride is that almost 61% of all the butterflies found in the State are from Dzongu, our home, rich in forests, culture, and traditions,' Mr. Lepcha told The Hindu. Measuring about 78 sq. km, the triangular Dzongu region is at an elevation ranging from 700 metres to 6,000 metres above the mean sea level. The area adjoins the Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere Reserve and is a part of the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot. Butterflies are considered a valuable indicator of biodiversity because their populations are sensitive to environmental changes and habitat loss. India is home to 1,502 of some 20,000 butterfly species recorded across the globe, and a tad less than 50% of the species found in the country thrive in Sikkim. According to the Lepcha-Thapa paper, Nymphalidae emerged as the dominant family with 165 species across 68 genera, followed by Lycaenidae with 92 species from 51 genera, Hesperiidae with 84 species from 44 genera, Papilionidae with 38 species from eight genera, Pieridae with 32 species from 13 genera, and Riodinidae with nine species from three genera. Altogether 118 of these species recorded in Dzongu are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 with the majority warranting a high level of protection as Schedule II insects. A total of 194 butterfly species exclusive to the northeastern region have been documented. Among the rare butterflies recorded were Papilio krishna, Teinopalpus imperialis, Meandrusa lachinus, Stichophthalma camadeva, Euaspa pavo, Ionolyce helicon, Dodona adonira, Koruthaialos butleri, Bassarona durga (Sikkim's State butterfly), and the Zographetus dzonguensis. that's still new to science. 'We found that the sub-tropical hill forest supported the highest butterfly diversity with 395 species recorded, while the sub-alpine forest supported the lowest diversity with 13 species,' Mr. Lepcha said, thanking guides Nosang M. Limboo and Sonam Pintso Sherpa, and members of the Butterfly Society of Sikkim for helping with the decade-long study.
