About

It is a new species of snake discovered in the Eastern Himalayas.

Anguiculus is the Latin word meaning small snake.

The term“dicaprioi” is a patronym to honour Leonardo DiCaprio, who has actively worked to create awareness about increased biodiversity loss, and human health issues due to the pollution explosion.

Family

It is a member of the Colubridae, which is the largest family of snakes on the planet having 304 genera and 1,938 species in it.

Almost two-thirds of all living snakes in the world comprise Colubridae.

Distribution

They are found in Chamba, Kullu and Shimla regions of Himachal Pradesh, Nainital district in Uttarakhand  and Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

Features

They have no limbs, external ears and eyelids.

They only have one functional lung, and a long, slender body. 

They have a complete and robust skull.

Significance

The eastern part of the Himalayas generally harbours more diversity than the western part. 

However, the findings suggest that the biota of the Western Himalayas is distinct and they are not merely a subset of the East Himalayan biota.

Conservation status 

Data Deficient

About

They are a new species of Ground-dwelling jumping spider.

Morphological Features

Males have a colour pattern which resembles a panda face.

They shave a brownish abdomen.

Females are grey with distinct colour patterns.

Habitat

They prefer the shaded short grasses with dry leaf litter in closed areas and in open areas, they prefer sunny areas with rocky outcrops.

They mostly prefer marshes, forests, agricultural lands, etc.

Distribution

They are currently endemic to southern India. They are mostly sighted in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Documented Species

Three species in the genus Tenkana have been discovered so far.

These are: Tenkana jayamangali, Tenkana arkavathi, Tenkana manu.

Ecological Role

They play a role in local ecosystems as a predator.

Category

Details

About

This is a rare and endemic butterfly species.

It is recorded for the first time using Eulophia epidendraea as a host near the Kallar horticultural garden.

Eulophia epidendraea is a terrestrial orchid found on rocky slopes in humid areas and they are associated with various grasses.

Scientific Name

Hypolycaena nilgirica

Habitat 

They live on the surface of terrestrial orchids and lay eggs on the inflorescence of Eulophia epidendraea.

Distribution

They are typically found in the western Ghats surrounding Nilgiris and in Sri Lanka.

It was first described in 1884 from Coonoor, Nilgiris.

Conservation Status

They are classified under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following species  and their description: 

How many of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

A.Only one

B.Only two

C. All Three

D.None

Answer: A

Explanation:

Pair 1 is correctly matched

Nilgiri tit is a rare and endemic butterfly species.

It is recorded for the first time using a Eulophia epidendraea as a host near Kallar horticultural garden.

Eulophia epidendraea is a terrestrial orchid found on rocky slopes in humid areas and they are associated with various grasses.

Pair 2 is not correctly matched

Tenkana jayamangali is a species of Ground-dwelling jumping spider.

They are currently endemic to southern India. They are mostly sighted in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Pair 3 is not correctly matched

Anguiculus dicaprioi is a new species of snake discovered in the Eastern Himalayas.

It is a member of the Colubridae, which is the largest family of snakes on the planet having 304 genera and 1,938 species in it.

Almost two-thirds of all living snakes in the world comprise Colubridae.