Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
A new species of bent-toed gecko named Cyrtodactylus vanarakshaka has been discovered in central Assam’s montane forests. It belongs to the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group. The species was found on the forested slopes of Jatinga in Dima Hasao, a unique ecological transition zone of the Barail Hills. It has been named in honour of the Assam Forest Department. The name “vanarakshaka” comes from Sanskrit words “vana” meaning forest and “rakshaka” meaning protector. With this discovery, Assam now has five recorded species of Cyrtodactylus.

Notes:
Union Environment Ministry approved the capture of eight tigers from Tadoba-Andhari and Pench reserves for translocation to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in western Maharashtra. Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is the first tiger reserve of western Maharashtra and the fourth in the state. It covers two protected areas: Koyana Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) and Chandoli National Park (CNP). The Shivsagar reservoir of Koyana River and Vasant Sagar reservoir of Warana River lie in its central part.

Notes:
A study documented 51 species of herpetofauna in Papikonda National Park, Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh. The list includes 18 amphibians, 21 lizards, 10 snakes, and 2 turtles. Three species—Minervarya kalinga, Sphaerotheca maskeyi, and Hemidactylus kangerensis—were recorded for the first time in Andhra Pradesh. According to IUCN Red List (2024), 46 species are Least Concern, Hemidactylus kangerensis is Endangered, Lissemys punctata is Vulnerable, and three are unassessed. Papikonda National Park is located in East Godavari and West Godavari Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

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Recently, Pulicat Lake fishermen demanded a long-term solution as siltation threatens their livelihoods. Pulicat Lake is a large coastal shallow, brackish water lagoon along the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s second largest brackish water lagoon after Chilika, spanning Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The lagoon is separated from the Bay of Bengal by Sriharikota Island. It is fed by Aarani River in the south and Kalangi River from the northwest; Buckingham Canal passes through it. Pulicat Lake was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 for wetland conservation.

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The Madras High Court recently ordered action against illegal resorts and tourist lodges within the prohibited zone of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is located in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu. It lies at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The reserve covers an area of over 1,400 square kilometres. It connects with Mudumalai, Bandipur, and Biligiri Ranganatha (BR) Tiger Reserves, forming a large tiger landscape.

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The Supreme Court recently allowed limited use of green crackers approved by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Delhi-NCR this Diwali. NEERI is a research institute created and funded by the Government of India. It works in the field of environmental science and engineering to promote sustainable development and pollution control. It functions under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. Its headquarters is in Nagpur, with five zonal labs in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

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Researchers from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation recently discovered a new species of snail named Lagocheilus hayaomiyazakii, also called the Tilari hairy snail. It was found in the evergreen Tilari forest of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. The snail lives in leafy thickets and rocky areas of the Western Ghats. It is named after Hayao Miyazaki, the famous Japanese filmmaker and Studio Ghibli co-founder known for depicting harmony with nature. Its habitat is highly limited and threatened by wildfires and deforestation, making it vulnerable to extinction.

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Six new species of dragonflies and damselflies were recently discovered in Silent Valley National Park during an odonate survey. The park is located in the southwest corner of the Nilgiris, Kerala. It is one of India’s last undisturbed tropical rainforests and a core part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is nourished by the Kunthipuzha River and is called “silent” due to the absence of cicadas. The forest hosts four vegetation types, over 1000 flowering plant species, and rare medicinal plants.

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A new fish species named Pseudorhombus bahudaensis was recently discovered by researchers from the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India. It was found in the Bahuda estuary located in Odisha. This species belongs to the flounder fish group under the order Pleuronectiformes. It closely resembles Pseudorhombus arsius, also known as the Gangetic largetooth flounder. They usually live in inshore waters up to 50 metres deep and can move between saltwater and freshwater environments.

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Two new species of marine amphipods named Grandidierella geetanjalae and Grandidierella khambhatensis were recently discovered by researchers from Chilika and the Gulf of Khambhat. Amphipods are small crustaceans related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They are found in marine, freshwater, and even land environments across the world. The word “amphipoda” means “different-footed”, as their legs are of varied types and functions. There are over 7,000 known species, mostly under the group Gammaridea. They usually feed on tiny dead plants and animals and also act as scavengers in aquatic ecosystems.