Flora & Fauna

Extinction watch: This creature is territorial and solitary by nature

Like most mustelids, polecats are solitary creatures. They will defend their territory fi ercely, unless a female has young, or is in season. They are primarily nocturnal, though females and their young will forage during the day.

Extinction watch: Purple haze

Georgia aster is currently found in five US counties in Alabama, 15 in Georgia, nine in North Carolina and 14 in South Carolina. It was once known from Florida, but is no longer found there. Across its range, 146 total populations have been known, of these, 28 have likely disappeared.

Winter ends on Everest without an ascent

Winter climbs are difficult and riskier due to snowier terrain, shorter and colder days and a narrow summit window compared to the busy spring when hundreds of mountaineers flock to Everest."We also had some close calls with avalanches yesterday. It's frustrating, we're strong and willing to go on, but conditions are unforgiving!," Txikon posted on his Facebook page.Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain at 8,850 metres (29,035 feet), has not been climbed in the Decemer-February winter season from the Nepali side since 1993 when six Japanese reached its top along the Southeast Ridge route.

Australia reef sees 3rd coral bleaching in 5 years

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered “very widespread” damage after rising sea temperatures caused the third mass coral bleaching events in five years. Its northern reaches suffered an unprecedented two successive years of severe bleaching in 2016 and 2017. Some previously untouched areas had now suffered "moderate or severe bleaching".

Social in nature, wanderer by habit

These birds are part of the Lapwing genus Vanellus, which diverged from all other species of birds 28 million years ago! Two sociable lapwings, satellite tagged in Kazakhstan, flew more than 5,000 miles to central Sudan where they spent the winter before their return flight to breeding grounds in the central Asian republic.

Africa’s rare mountain gorillas also at virus risk

As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, Congo’s Virunga National Park, home to about a third of the world’s mountain gorillas, is barring visitors until June 1, citing “advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are likely susceptible to complications arising from the Covid-19 virus”.

Extinction watch: Its egg and meat makes it a much hunted fish

Since the 1940s, this species has attracted considerable attention because of its plasticity; in the 1950s, tests were carried out to introduce the species into various open stretches of water (Baltic Sea) or closed areas (lakes). The farming of this species

Extinction watch: Too delicious to be left to grow wild

These wild mushrooms usually fetch between 50 and 70 Euros per kilogram. This encourages people to collect and sell the mushrooms, often before they are mature. It is estimated that only 250 White Ferulas make it to maturity each year.

Why birds are the world’s best engineers

Coronavirus: Tiger Reserves, Sanctuaries and National Parks to remain closed in Assam till March 29

The Assam Government on Monday decided to shut down all tiger reserves, sanctuaries and national parks in the state from March 17 to March 29, as a precautionary measure to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Forester who traced Avni’s cubs gets national tiger body’s reward

Tiny Dino skull found preserved in amber

Extinction watch: Amber eyes, dwindling fast

As of December 2017, fewer than 50 individuals are thought to be remaining in three subpopulations that are scattered over 140,000 square km in Iran’s central plateau. The cats have been nearly wiped out by excessive hunting, habitat degradation and scarcity of prey species.

Extinction watch: A coral that looks like a flowerpot

The coral is composed of many small polyps and forms large colonies approximately 2 metres across. The polyp skeleton is a dusky pink colour.

Extinction Watch: A living relic, sacred to a Chilean tribe

It’s possible the tree gained the name of monkey puzzle because of its spiny, scale-like leaves which would leave a monkey puzzled. The tree is home to the slender-billed parakeet and over 70 types of insects that live nowhere else on earth, but no monkeys!

Extinction watch: A jaw-dropping, colour changing Boa

Once prevalent all over Mauritius, the introduction of pigs and rodents led to a huge population decline and animal grazing destroyed its habitat. Now this boa is found only on Round Island.