Latest news with #Zootaxa
Miami Herald
a day ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Gold-speckled creature — from ‘land of eternal waters' — found as new species
In Chirripó National Park, most of the year is marked by heavy rainfall. The park experiences a very short dry season compared to the rest of Costa Rica, resulting in up to nearly 80 inches of rain annually. Cerro Chirripó, the country's highest peak, is known as the 'land of eternal waters' in the indigenous language Cabécar — and it's home to a species new to science. During nightly surveys in November 2019, researchers noticed a small animal foraging on the ground, according to a study published June 3 in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The critters were identified as salamanders from the Bolitoglossa genus, but they seemed different from previously discovered species, according to the study. Genetic testing confirmed the salamanders hadn't been described before, and they were named Bolitoglossa chirripoensis, or the Chirripó web-footed salamander, researchers said. The salamanders have a relatively moderate size, ranging from about 2 to 2.3 inches long, according to the study. Their limbs are 'short and robust,' barely sticking out from their cylindrical trunks, researchers said. At the end of their limbs are 'broad hands and feet,' and the toes are webbed together. The animals have small eyes that slightly protrude from their heads, which are smooth and flat, according to the study. The 'background color' of the Chirripó web-footed salamander is 'dark brown suffused with violet with numerous bronze to gold specks,' researchers said. 'The speckles formed a pair of irregular dorsolateral bands extending from the upper eyelids to the anterior portion of the tail, where pale speckles become much less numerous.' The salamander's stomach is 'dark brownish purple' with 'whitish speckles, and the legs were much lighter than the rest of the body, according to the study. 'This species is known only from the type locality in the páramo (or vegetation) of the Cerro Chirripó at (about 10,000 to 11,000 feet),' researchers said. The salamanders were only found near the summit of the peak, an area susceptible to forest fires and climatic change, according to the study, possibly threatening the species. The national park is also 'visited by thousands of tourists each year,' researchers said, leading to the research team recommending the species be listed as 'vulnerable' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines. Researchers said the amphibians from this region are poorly studied, and there are still a lot of unanswered questions about their natural history, diet, predators, habitat selection, reproduction and conservation. Cerro Chirripó is in south-central Costa Rica, a country between Nicaragua and Panama in Central America. The research team includes Jeremy Klank, Gerardo Chaves, Kimberly Castro and Erick Arias.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Two new millipede species discovered in Western Ghats regions of Maharashtra and Kerala
Pune: Two new species of millipedes have been added to India's arthropod diversity after their discovery in Western Ghats regions, namely Karad in Maharashtra and in Kerala. The discovery of the two species — named Polydrepanum xiphosum and Polydrepanum spinatum — by a team of Indian scientists was published in the New Zealand-based journal Zootaxa on May 24 this year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The development takes the count of India's millipede species to 270, over 70% of which are endemic. Both newly found species belong to the genus Polydrepanum in the Paradoxosomatidae family. Now, the genus includes six recognised and extant species — all exclusive to the Western Ghats, which is a biodiversity hotspot. This discovery highlights the importance of conserving microhabitats within the Western Ghats, which is crucial for sustaining unique and ecologically significant species, said researchers. The study stated: "The findings highlight the region's status as a global biodiversity hotspot and the importance of its often-overlooked soil-dwelling invertebrates." Research team member Dr Aparna Sureshchandra Kalawate from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Pune, told TOI, "This discovery took almost five months of rigorous work, from field collection activity in Karad and parts of Kerala to comparing them with existing taxonomic records. It became evident they didn't match any known species. We believe there may be many more such species awaiting discovery in the Ghats. " Besides Kalawate, the team comprised Dr Sudhikumar Ambalaparambil, head of the zoology department at Christ College, Irinjalakuda (Kerala), and research scholars Muhsina Musthafa (Christ College) and Pooja Misal (Shivaji University, Kolhapur). The team is currently collecting more samples and furthering their study to find different species in the Western Ghats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Elaborating on the importance of the tiny creatures they are studying, Kalawate shared, "Millipedes, though small and often unseen, play a crucial role in the ecosystem. As decomposers, they feed on decaying plant matter and enhance soil quality by stimulating microbial activity and releasing essential nutrients like nitrogen into the soil." Millipedes are vital components of the food chain for other invertebrates as well, said the researcher, adding, "Despite their importance, millipedes are under threat due to increasing soil pollution, land-use changes, concrete encroachment, and the overuse of fertilisers and industrial waste." The research team shared, "Millipedes are the largest macro arthropods and also known as 'indicators of environmental alteration or conditions'. They have an important role in the ecosystem, especially in the food chain, as a 'decomposer'. Although only 10% of total decomposition of plant litter within an ecosystem takes place through millipedes, their feeding enhances microbial activities, resulting in the breakdown of litter up to 90%. " Millipedes are typically found in moist environments, such as beneath decaying leaves, in the soil, and in damp areas. The scientists emphasised the need to conserve moist microhabitats in the Western Ghats — leaf litter, decaying logs, and forest soil — that are essential for the survival of these non-venomous, harmless invertebrates.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Rare scaly creatures — one pregnant — seen for first time in east India forest
In the hills of eastern India, in a region carved by deep river valleys and dense rainforests, two scaly creatures slept perched on different branches of the same tree. To the surprise of the researchers surveying the forest, they had stumbled upon two Calotes zolaiking, a species of mountain lizard previously only known from Mizoram, a state about 120 miles west, according to a May 30 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa. The sighting marks the first time the species has been recorded outside of the region where it was first discovered in 2019, researchers said. One of the two lizards was a pregnant female, according to the study. This finding sheds light on the reproductive cycles of the species and indicates it breeds during pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, researchers said. Calotes zolaiking are about 5 inches long and their bodies are various shades of green with dark patches throughout. They are 'strongly keeled,' meaning each of the lizard's long scales has a ridge in the middle, giving it a sharper overall appearance, according to the study. Because the rainforests of Meghalaya are connected to the hills of Mizoram by other forests, the species may have 'continuous distribution throughout and around' this whole region, researchers said. Meghalaya is part of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, and the region holds a large number of endemic species, or species found nowhere else in the world, according to the study. It ranks as one of the most vital and irreplaceable hotspots worldwide., according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also one of the top five most threatened hotspots due to human-related pressures. More people live in this hotspot than any other in the world, according to the group. Researchers said continuous and comprehensive surveys of the contiguous forests are necessary in light of increasing habitat loss. Meghalaya includes the East Khasi Hills District near the border of Bangladesh. The research team included Sanath Chandra Bohra, Chunglallian Ranglong, Goldenstar Thongni, Banyllashisha Wankhar, Cynthia Mylliem Umlong, Madhurima Das, Holiness Warjri, and Jayaditya Purkayastha.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Rare lizard in Meghalaya fuels grassroots conservation efforts
A lizard species newly recorded in Meghalaya has become the catalyst for a community-driven conservation effort in an area of the State long impacted by limestone mining and a defunct cement plant. Calotes zolaiking, a species of garden lizard, was first described in 2019 from Mizoram's Aizawl district by a team of scientists. Its recent sighting in Mawmluh, in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, has extended the known range of the species by approximately 172 km aerially. What sets the Meghalaya finding apart is the key role played by two villagers - Goldenstar Thongni and Banyllashisha Wankhar - who were among the eight authors of the study published in the latest issue of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed journal on animal taxonomy. Mr. Thongni, a resident of Rohbah in South West Khasi Hills and a nature enthusiast, collaborated on the study, while Ms. Wankhar, who runs a grocery shop in Mawmluh, collected the first of the two specimens that led to the species' confirmation. 'This lizard looked special,' said the 25-year-old, reflecting on her initial observation. While not new to science, the reptile's presence in Mawmluh has assumed local significance, triggering a conservation drive across the region, especially in and around Sohra (Cherrapunji). 'We do have our sacred groves where no one is allowed to remove even a twig or a dead leaf, but the greenery has been under stress due to mining and industrial activities,' said Bansan Kupar Lyngdoh, headman of Mawmluh village. 'The lizard is our pride by dint of featuring in a global scientific journal. It has enthused us to intensify our conservation efforts in the hope of locals and scientists finding more faunal species,' he told The Hindu. Herpetologist Jayaditya Purkayastha, based in Guwahati and one of the study's authors, credited the villagers with providing the critical groundwork. 'A juvenile male and an adult gravid female helped us describe this lizard belonging to the genus Calotes, which currently includes 30 recognised species ranging from South to Southeast Asia and Oceania,' he said. India is home to 14 species of Calotes, nine of which have been recorded in the Northeast. The researchers observed two adult specimens basking on low-lying bushes in April 2024, although these could not be captured for study. It was only after subsequent successful collection of specimens that the Meghalaya record was confirmed. The authors cited the example of Stoliczkia khasiensis, a snake described from the Khasi Hills in 1870 but never seen again, to underscore the importance of sustained and systematic surveys. 'This highlights the importance of conducting continuous and comprehensive herpetofaunal surveys throughout the Khasi Hills and its adjoining hill ranges, particularly in light of the ongoing decline in forest cover due to anthropogenic pressures,' the study noted.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Confusion over Persian lizard removed after 150 years
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have removed confusion over the Persian long-tailed desert lizard, 153 years after it was first described from Sindh in present-day Pakistan. This desert lizard, called Mesalina watsonana zoologically, was described as Eremias (Mesalina) watsonana by Ferdinand Stolickza, a 19th-century naturalist, in 1872 based on five specimens from the right bank of the Indus River between Karachi and Sakkar. He deposited one of the five specimens at the ZSI in Kolkata. Distributed across Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan, this species inhabits the foothills, sand dunes, and sandy plains with poor vegetation. Mesalina watsonana has been a key species in the study of desert lizard diversity across South and Central Asia. However, confusion over its syntypes (specimens used to define a species when no single 'type' specimen was selected) spread across museums in Kolkata, London, and Vienna posed a challenge to researchers. ZSI scientists Sumidh Ray and Pratyush P. Mohapatra designated ZSI-R-5050, the syntype Stolickza had deposited, as the definitive lectotype to serve as a single type specimen. Their taxonomical feat, achieved by analysing historical records and adhering to modern zoological nomenclature codes, was published in the latest issue of Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed journal. Beyond the taxonomic significance, the lectotype designation highlights the scientific value of Stolickza's Persian and Sindh collections housed at the ZSI. These specimens, part of expeditions led under the British Geological Survey of India, represent some of the earliest systematic herpetofaunal documentation in the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions. 'Stoliczka's material is foundational. The ZSI holds many of his type specimens that remain central to reptile taxonomy in South and Central Asia. Validating and anchoring these names is not just about scientific clarity, but also about honouring a legacy of discovery,' Dhriti Banerjee, the Director of ZSI, said on Monday (May 19, 2025). While underscoring the role of historic collections in modern taxonomy, the lectotype designation is expected to strengthen future research on species complexes within Mesalina.
