A tryst with the leopards of agricultural landscape
Leopards are amongst the most adaptable cats amongst the “Big Cats”. Out of three species of leopards, the Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) is the most common and well distributed. The first ever formal leopard census was conducted in 2016,
Nature’s Laughter Riot: The Spotted Hyena
World Laughter Day is here, and with it we humans are extolling all the virtues associated with good ‘ole laughter. The onslaught of laughter inducing events- laughing classes, workshops, groups and so on and so forth, is proof enough! But
Lesser Flamingos Spotted in Pulicat Lake!!
An account of a day trip to Pulicat Lake to see the migration mania of Lesser Flamingos It has now become our weekly routine to be up and ready and gearing to go for weekend birding. This day was no exception
Labour Love: An ant’s world
Think hard work and sheer hard work, and more often than not, the childhood fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper”, springs to mind! How we celebrated the ant who slogged day in and day out to bring a semblance of
Beauty Exemplified
The Beautiful Nuthatch—one of the largest nuthatches—is also one of the most attractive birds in the world. Described by well-known British zoologist Edward Blyth, in 1843, from a specimen collected from Darjeeling, the Beautiful Nuthatch is sporadically distributed in Northeast
GREEN ARCHITECTS
Among the great variety of collective activities performed by social insects (ants, termites and some species of bees and wasps), the ability to build homes is certainly the most spectacular. Some insects are master architects and design utility-based homes with
Winged Wonders of Baidyabati
Nestled on the outskirts of Kolkata along the DVC (Damodar Valley Corporation) canal is a peri-urban conglomeration called Baidyabati. Currently an area under the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, Baidyabati is paradise for both butterflies and birds. Although much of the
Small Wonders – Homebodies
Homes are our security blanket from the world outside. Similarly, in the animal kingdom, homes are important because they shield and nurture, protect and comfort; so much so that some species insist on carrying their homes with them at all times Lacewing larvae: What
Aliens amongst us!
All of us must have encountered mantises. They are attracted to light in the evening, flying in after the other smaller insects that come in seeking warmth. This would be a more common occurrence in rural areas or urban spaces
Dancing Frogs
The Western Ghats is an ancient mountain range that runs along the west coast of India from Kerala till the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a biodiversity hotspot, having some of the rarest species found