An intensive faunal survey in the Vazhachal wildlife division in Thrissur, Kerala, has documented 26 species beforehand unrecorded from the world, highlighting the wealthy biodiversity of the important thing hall in the Western Ghats.
The survey was performed by the Kerala Forest division in affiliation with the Travancore Nature History Society (TNHS) from February 26 to March 1.
Around 50 specialists and delegates, together with an equal quantity of forest frontline employees, participated in the train. Fourteen discipline camps had been arrange throughout various habitats starting from dry and moist deciduous forests to evergreen methods, overlaying elevations from the Malakkappara-High Forest borders to the Chalakudy panorama. The researchers adopted a multi-taxa methodology to doc butterflies, birds, odonates, cicadas, spiders, ants and different faunal teams.
Angled Sunbeam
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Special Arrangement
Butterfly range was notably placing, with 175 species recorded in the course of the survey, together with 13 new additions to the Vazhachal wildlife division’s checklist. Among the notable sightings had been Red-spot Duke, Acute Sunbeam, Hampson’s Hedge Blue, White-tipped Lineblue, Common Tinsel and Sahyadri Purple-spotted Flitter. Seasonal migration of Dark Cerulean butterflies and enormous congregations of Blue Tigers, Dark Blue Tigers and Crows had been additionally noticed to point out an lively seasonal motion even in the course of the dry part.
The group additionally recorded 187 species of birds, together with 10 additions. The important sightings included Black Stork, Black-headed Ibis, Black Baza, Greater Spotted Eagle, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, White-bellied Sholakili and Tree Pipit. Other notable observations had been Grey-headed Fish Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Sri Lanka Frogmouth, White-rumped Shama, Grey-bellied Cuckoo and Blue-eared Kingfisher.
Besides, the researchers reported wholesome populations of Great Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill and Malabar Pied Hornbill. Their presence emphasises the structural integrity of the forest cover and fruiting tree networks inside the division.
Asian Emerald Spreadwing (Lestes elatus)
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Special Arrangement
Despite being a dry season, the survey documented 45 species of odonates, together with three additions, viz., Trithemis pallidinervis,Lestes elatus and Caconeura risi. The group additionally recorded 30 species of ants, 33 species of spiders and 6 species of cicadas, reflecting substantial arthropod range.
Wildlife sightings
Wildlife sightings in the course of the survey included tigers, leopards, herds of elephant, stripe-necked mongoose and the endangered lion-tailed macaque.
Vazhachal Divisional Forest Officer Suresh Babu I.S., who led the train, termed the addition of the brand new species, notably throughout a dry-season survey, as a outstanding achievement. The findings, he added, reaffirms ecological significance of the Vazhachal panorama as one of essentially the most biologically important forest divisions in Kerala.
TNHS analysis affiliate Kalesh Sadasivan factors out that the dimensions of additions recorded is a sign of how biologically under-documented the area is. The habitat heterogeneity throughout elevation gradients helps substantial faunal turnover.
A structured post-monsoon survey is probably going to reveal even larger range, notably amongst butterflies and odonates, he added.
