💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Type: Species

  • Asiatic lion population rises from 523 (2015) to 891 (2025) under Project Lion

    Why in the News

    India’s Asiatic lion population increased from 523 in 2015 to 891 in 2025, the highest recorded count. Project Lion, launched in 2020, aims to strengthen conservation of the species and its Gir landscape.

    What is Project Lion?

    • Launched: 2020 for long-term conservation of the Asiatic lion.
    • Focus: Habitat improvement, disease surveillance, scientific monitoring and community participation.
    • Tools: Radio-collaring, camera traps and genetic/gene-pool conservation.
    • Need: The entire wild population is concentrated in one landscape, creating a major single-population risk.

    Latest Population Status

    • 2015: 523 lions
    • 2025: 891 lions
    • Key concern: Many lions now occur outside protected areas, increasing human-wildlife conflict.
    • Habitat: Gir is approaching its carrying capacity, strengthening the case for a second home.

    Back2Basics: Asiatic Lion

    • Scientific name: Panthera leo persica
    • IUCN: Endangered
    • CITES: Appendix I
    • Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
    • Only wild population: India
    • Natural range: Gir landscape, Gujarat
    • Proposed second home: Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Porbandar.

    Why is a Second Home Needed?

    1. Single-site risk: Disease or disaster in Gir could threaten the entire species.
    2. Habitat saturation: Increasing population is pushing lions beyond protected areas.
    3. Human-wildlife conflict: Greater interaction with people and livestock.
    4. Disease risk: Outbreaks such as Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) can threaten large carnivores.
    5. Habitat fragmentation: Mining, roads and railways can disrupt dispersal corridors.

    Statutory Framework

    • WLPA, 1972: Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, provides legal protection to wildlife.
    • FCA, 1980: Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, regulates forest diversion.
    • BDA, 2002: Biological Diversity Act, 2002, promotes conservation and sustainable use.
    • EPA, 1986: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, provides the broader environmental framework.

    Government Initiatives

    • Project Lion (2020): Asiatic lion conservation.
    • Project Tiger (1973): Tiger conservation.
    • Project Elephant (1992): Elephant and corridor conservation.
    • Project Snow Leopard (2009): Snow leopard and Himalayan ecosystem conservation.
    • Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats: Supports protected areas and endangered species recovery.

    [2019] Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.

    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.

    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • BNHS launches India’s first invasive-fish removal programme

    Why in the News

    The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has launched India’s first community-driven removal programme for the invasive suckermouth catfish in Ujani Reservoir, Maharashtra.

    Suckermouth Catfish: Key Facts

    • Origin: Amazon River basin, South America.
    • Entry into India: Introduced through the aquarium trade and later released into natural waterways.
    • Local name: “Helicopter fish”.
    • Why invasive?
      • Feeds on fish eggs.
      • Competes with native bottom-feeding fish.
      • Burrows into riverbanks and can weaken earthen structures.
      • Adapts to adverse conditions.

    Scale of the Invasion

    • Around 97% of fish in Ujani are alien species including suckermouth catfish, Tilapia and African catfish.
    • Native fish account for only 3%.
    • Suckermouth catfish alone constitute around 30 to 40% of the total fish population.

    Impact on Fishermen

    • Around 20,000 people including fishermen, traders, transporters and labourers depend on the reservoir.
    • Invasive fish damage fishing nets and reduce the catch of economically valuable Rohu, Catla and Mrigal.
    • Fishermen may need to replace nets every 15 to 20 days, adding to costs.

    BNHS Removal Model

    • Collection centre established at Bhigwan fish market.
    • Fishermen receive financial incentives for collecting the invasive fish.
    • 36+ tonnes have already been removed.
    • Fish is processed into molasses used as fertiliser.
    • Creates a removal + livelihood + waste-utilisation model.

    “[2023] Invasive Species Specialist Group (that develops Global Invasive Species Database) belongs to which one of the following organizations?

    (a) The International Union for Conservation of Nature

    (b) The United Nations Environment Programme

    (c) The United Nations World Commission for Environment and Development

    (d) The World Wide Fund for Nature.

  • The road ahead for the Asiatic lion as its range spreads

    Why in the News

    The Asiatic lion population has recovered strongly but is increasingly living outside protected areas. The tension is between a conservation success in numbers and the rising conflict and risk that dispersal brings.

    What is the Asiatic lion?

    1. Endemic species: The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) survives only in and around the Gir landscape of Gujarat.
    2. Status change: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) moved it from Critically Endangered to Endangered.
    3. Single population: The entire wild population is concentrated in one region, making it vulnerable to a single event.

    How has the population and range changed?

    1. Recovery: Numbers grew from about 100 to 150 six decades ago to over 1,000 today.
    2. Dispersal: Nearly half the lions now live outside protected areas.
    3. Satellite groups: For the first time, data shows that more than half—497 lions—now live outside the core Gir protected areas in nine distinct satellite populations spread across 11 districts, spanning a territory of 35,000 square kilometers.

    Why does the spread create new risks?

    1. Habitat threat: A proposed limestone mine in the Babarkot corridor threatens a dispersal route.
    2. Disease risk: Past outbreaks of Canine Distemper Virus and babesiosis killed many lions.
    3. Green Status: The species remains assessed as “largely depleted” despite the numeric recovery.

    Back2Basics: Asiatic Lion (Gir)

    1. IUCN status: Endangered.
    2. Legal protection: Listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
    3. Habitat: Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding landscape in Gujarat.
    4. Significance: Gir is the only natural home of the wild Asiatic lion.

    “[2024] Consider the following statements:
    1. Lions do not have a particular breeding season.
    2. Unlike most other big cats, cheetahs do not roar.
    3. Unlike male lions, male leopards do not proclaim their territory by scent marking.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?
    (a) 1 and 2 only
    (b) 2 and 3 only
    (c) 1 and 3 only
    (d) 1, 2 and 3

  • India confirmed as a global lepidoptera hotspot

    Why in the News?

    A Zoological Survey of India catalogue, published in the journal Zootaxa, records 13,703 species of butterflies and moths in India, about 8.25% of the world total. The finding reinforces India’s standing among the world’s megadiverse nations and provides a baseline for insect conservation.

    What does the catalogue record?

    1. Total species: India hosts 13,703 lepidoptera species, comprising 1,417 butterflies and 12,286 moths.
    2. Global share: This is about 8.25% of all butterfly and moth species worldwide.
    3. Source: The catalogue was compiled by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and published in the taxonomic journal Zootaxa.

    Why is this significant?

    1. Megadiverse status: The count reinforces India’s position as one of the world’s megadiverse countries.
    2. Baseline data: A comprehensive species list provides a baseline against which future losses or discoveries can be measured.
    3. Ecological role: Butterflies and moths are pollinators and prey species, so their diversity signals ecosystem health.

    What is Lepidoptera?

    1. It is the order of butterflies, a large biological order that includes insects such as moths, and skippers.
    2. With about 180,000 species worldwide, it is the second largest order in the insect kingdom after the beetles (Coleoptera).

    Why does lepidoptera diversity matter for conservation?

    1. Pollination service: Many butterfly and moth species pollinate wild and cultivated plants.
    2. Food web link: They sustain populations of birds, spiders and wasps that feed on them.
    3. Indicator species: Their sensitivity to habitat change makes them useful indicators of environmental stress.

    Conclusion

    The ZSI catalogue documents India’s exceptional lepidoptera diversity and its megadiverse status. The species baseline is a foundation for tracking ecosystem health. Butterflies and moths matter because they anchor pollination and food webs across habitats.

    Back2Basics:

    Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)

    1. Establishment: Founded in 1916 as the premier taxonomic research organisation for animal life in India.
    2. Ministry: Functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
    3. Headquarters: Kolkata.
    4. Mandate: Survey, exploration and documentation of India’s faunal diversity.

    PYQ Relevance

    [2017] Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences?

    1. Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected. 2. There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants. 3. It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: (c)

  • Axolotl: Mexico City’s Unofficial World Cup Mascot Facing Extinction

    Why in the news?

    Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the axolotl has emerged as Mexico City’s unofficial mascot. However, conservationists have raised concerns that the popularity of the critically endangered amphibian has not translated into meaningful efforts to protect its rapidly disappearing habitat.

    About Axolotl

    • Common name: Axolotl
    • Scientific name: Ambystoma mexicanum
    • Group: Amphibian (salamander).
    • Endemic to: Mexico, particularly the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City.
    • Name derived from: The Nahuatl word meaning “water monster”.

    Unique Features

    • Exhibits neoteny, retaining larval characteristics throughout its life.
    • Remains aquatic throughout its life cycle.
    • Breathes through External gills and oxygen absorption through its skin.
    • Extraordinary regenerative ability can regrow limbs, Parts of the spinal cord, Heart tissue, and Portions of the brain.

    Conservation Status

    • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.
    • Wild populations have witnessed a drastic decline.

    [2019] Consider the following statements:
    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    [A] 1 only

    [B] 2 only

    [C] 1 and 3 only

    [D] 1, 2 and 3

  • Scientists Discover New Species in Angola’s Lisima Plateau

    Why in the news?

    Wildlife experts under the Wilderness Project discovered several new insect and spider species during an expedition to the Lisima Plateau in Angola.

    Newly Identified Species

    • 8 new dragonfly species.
    • 3 new grasshopper species.
    • Around:
      • 60 new butterflies and moths.

    Other Notable Discoveries

    • Armoured predatory cricket.
    • New copper caterpillar species and butterfly.
    • Fluorescent crowned crab spider.
    • Blood-orange ladybird orb-web spider.

    Fluorescent Crowned Crab Spider

    • Special Feature: Fluoresces under ultraviolet (UV) light.
    • Fluorescence may help:
      • Communication
      • Camouflage
      • Predator avoidance.

    Ladybird Orb-Web Spider

    • Feature: Mimics ladybirds using bright coloration.
    • Purpose: Warns predators about:
      • Toxicity
      • Bitter taste.
    • Example of: Mimicry in nature.

    About Lisima Plateau

    • Remote plateau region in: Angola.

    Hydrological Importance

    • Feeds four major African river systems:
      • Congo River
      • Okavango River
      • Zambezi River
      • Cuanza River.

    Global Biodiversity Context

    • Around 8.7 million species exist globally.
    • Only about: 1.5 million species are documented.
    • Extinction Concern: More than 800 animal species extinct since 1500 due to human activities.

    [2023] Consider the following statements:
    1.Some mushrooms have medicinal properties.
    2.Some mushrooms have psycho- active properties.
    3.Some mushrooms have insecticidal properties.
    4.Some mushrooms have bioluminescent properties.
    How many of the above statements are correct?

    [A] Only one

    [B] Only two

    [C] Only three

    [D] All four

  • Long-tailed Duskhawker Rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh

    Why in News?

    A rare dragonfly species, the Long-tailed Duskhawker, has been rediscovered in Arunachal Pradesh after 110 years in Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve.

    About the Species

    • Scientific name: Gynacantha khasiaca
    • Belongs to the order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)
    • Known for:
      • Near 360° vision
      • Compound eyes with thousands of lenses
      • Ability to hover still in air

    Rediscovery

    • Last recorded in 1914 from the erstwhile Abor Hills
    • Rediscovered at Deban in Namdapha National Park in October 2024
    • Study published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa

    Ecological Importance of Dragonflies

    Dragonflies and damselflies are:

    • Predators and prey in freshwater ecosystems
    • Indicators of healthy aquatic habitats
    • Important for ecological balance

    Odonata Diversity

    • Global: 6,442 species across 693 genera
    • India: 504 species and 27 subspecies
    • Arunachal Pradesh: Around 110 species recorded

    Distribution of Long-tailed Duskhawker

    Apart from Arunachal Pradesh, reported from:

    • Assam
    • Maharashtra
    • Meghalaya
    • Uttarakhand
    • West Bengal

    Significance of Rediscovery

    • Highlights rich biodiversity of Northeast India
    • Emphasises habitat protection and biodiversity monitoring
    • Shows importance of citizen science in conservation

    About Namdapha National Park

    • Located in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh
    • One of India’s largest protected areas
    • Known for tropical rainforests and rich wildlife diversity

    [2017] Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences?
    1. Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected.
    2. There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants.
    3. It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds.
    Select the correct using the code given below:

    [A] 1 only

    [B] 2 and 3 only

    [C] 1 and 3 only

    [D] 1, 2 and 3

  • Seizure of Indian Red Sand Boa in Telangana

    Why in the News?

    Officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized two live Indian Red Sand Boa snakes in Warangal, Telangana, during an operation against illegal wildlife trade.

    Key Highlights

    • The operation was conducted by the Hyderabad zonal unit of DRI.
    • Officials acted on intelligence regarding illegal sale of live snakes in the grey market.
    • Two live snakes were recovered from the suspect’s bag during an undercover decoy operation.

    About Indian Red Sand Boa

    • Scientific name: Eryx johnii
    • Non-venomous burrowing snake species found in India.
    • Often targeted in illegal wildlife trade due to superstitions and false medicinal beliefs.

    Legal Protection

    • The species is protected under: Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

    Significance of Schedule I

    • Provides the highest level of legal protection.
    • Hunting, possession, and trade are prohibited.

    Action Taken

    • The snakes and accused were handed over to the Forest Range Officer, Warangal.
    • Further investigation is underway to identify possible wildlife trafficking networks.
    [2017] In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply? 
    [A] It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger. 
    [B] It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and not it is impossible to prevent its extinction. 
    [C] It is endemic to a particular region of India. 
    [D] Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.

  • Blue Button (Porpita porpita) 

    Why in the News

    Large numbers of Porpita porpita, commonly called Blue Button, were recently found washed ashore at Girgaon Chowpatty. This phenomenon is often observed before the onset of the monsoon.

    What is Blue Button

    • A marine organism found floating on the sea surface
    • Not a single organism but a colonial species
    • Composed of multiple zooids working together as one unit
    • Often mistaken for jellyfish

    Key Characteristics

    • Small, disc shaped body with tentacles
    • Free floating organism
    • Each zooid performs specific functions: Feeding, Digestion, and Movement

    Comparison with Similar Species

    • Blue Button (Porpita porpita)
      • Harmless to humans
      • Mild or no sting
    • Portuguese Man o’ War
      • Venomous
      • Can cause painful stings

    Why They Appear on Shores

    • Linked to monsoon onset
    • Caused by:
      • Changes in sea temperature
      • Shifts in ocean currents
      • Strong winds pushing them ashore
    [2021] Which of the following have species that can establish symbiotic relationship with other organisms? 
    1. Cnidarians 
    2. Fungi 
    3. Protozoa 
    Select the correct answer using the code given below. 
    [A] 1 and 2 only [B] 2 and 3 only [C] 1 and 3 only [D] 1, 2 and 3

  • Indus River Dolphin  

    Why in the News?

    • Conservation reserves, citizen science, and habitat protection efforts are helping the Indus River Dolphin population recover in India, particularly in the Beas River.

    About the Indus River Dolphin

    • Scientific Name: Platanista minor
    • Common Name: Indus River Dolphin
    • Type: Freshwater river dolphin
    • One of the rarest mammals in the world
    • IUCN Status is Endangered

    Distribution

    • Primary Habitat: Indus River system (Pakistan)
    • India:
      • Beas River (Punjab) — small remnant population
    • Earlier found across:
      • Indus tributaries (Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, Jhelum)

    Physical Appearance

    • Long, pointed snout
    • Visible teeth even when mouth is closed
    • Flexible neck (rare among dolphins)
    • Small dorsal fin
    [2019] Consider the following pairs: Wildlife Naturally found in 
    1. Blue-finned Mahseer: Cauvery River 
    2. Irrawaddy Dolphin: Chambal River 
    3. Rusty-spotted Cat: Eastern Ghats 
    Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched? 
    [A] 1 and 2 only [B] 2 and 3 only [C] 1 and 3 only [D] 1, 2 and 3