Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Archaeologists discovered India’s largest circular stone labyrinth in the Boramani grasslands of Solapur, Maharashtra. It is made of small stone blocks arranged in multiple circular rings. The rings guide movement inward to a tightly coiled central spiral, showing high precision and symbolic meaning. The structure is linked to Indo-Roman trade during the Satavahana dynasty period. Soil accumulated between the stone rings indicates it remained untouched for several centuries. Its design resembles Mediterranean labyrinths seen on Roman-era coins. The central spiral reflects the Indian concept of Chakravyūha, a complex military formation described in the Mahabharata.

Notes:
The rare Sirkeer Malkoha has been recorded for the first time in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. It is usually found in the plains of Uttarakhand, making this sighting significant. Sirkeer Malkoha, also called sirkeer cuckoo, is a unique type of cuckoo bird. It is found across the sub-Himalayan Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan and Rajasthan. It lives in scrublands, thin forests, and hilly areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List classifies it as Least Concern.

Notes:
Recently, an ultra-rare leopard colour morph was documented in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, marking the first such sighting in the state and the second in India. The leopard has been named the “Sandalwood Leopard” due to its pale reddish-pink coat resembling sandalwood. The animal is a female leopard (Panthera pardus), around seven years old, seen with a normally coloured cub. Such leopards are globally called “strawberry leopards” and are extremely rare. Globally, this colour morph has been recorded only five times, including one earlier sighting in Rajasthan in 2021.

Notes:
Researchers discovered three new meadow katydid species in Jammu and Kashmir named Conocephalus usmanii, Conocephalus nagariensis, and Conocephalus ganderbali. Katydids are mainly nocturnal insects found on all continents except Antarctica. More than 8,000 species exist, belonging to the family Tettigoniidae. They are orthopterans, meaning straight-winged insects, related closely to crickets. Katydids are also called long-horned grasshoppers or bush crickets. They have long thread-like antennae and leaf-like bodies for camouflage. Most are herbivores with a lifespan of about one year.

Notes:
Rapid habitat destruction has forced the arboreal Phayre’s leaf monkey to change its natural behaviour and habits. Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei) is an Old World monkey that is diurnal and tree-dwelling. It lives in tropical, deciduous, and evergreen forests, and is also found in bamboo clusters and rubber plantations. It is distributed in North-East India, mainly Tripura, Assam, and Mizoram, along with eastern Bangladesh and western Myanmar. ts conservation status is Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Notes:
The Finke River, called Larapinta by the Arrernte people, is believed to be the world’s oldest river system. It is a major but intermittent river located in central Australia. The river originates in the MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory. It forms from the meeting of Davenport Creek and Ormiston Creek. The river flows for about 600 kilometres towards the Simpson Desert in South Australia. Geological evidence dates the river to the Devonian or Carboniferous period, around 300–400 million years ago. For most of the year, it appears as scattered waterholes but becomes fast-flowing after heavy rains.

Notes:
Recently, the second rangewide survey of riverine and estuarine dolphins in India was launched from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh under Project Dolphin. The initiative is led by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to strengthen river ecosystem conservation. The survey updates population estimates, assesses habitat conditions, and identifies emerging threats to dolphin species. It is coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, with State Forest Departments and partners like WWF India, Aaranyak, and Wildlife Trust of India.

Notes:
A new hedgehog species, Brandt’s hedgehog, has been discovered for the first time in India in Jammu and Kashmir through Deoxyribonucleic Acid analysis and morphological studies. Brandt’s hedgehog is a desert hedgehog scientifically known as Paraechinus hypomelas. It is native to the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. The species lives in arid and semi-arid habitats such as rocky deserts, scrublands, and dry mountain slopes. It is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

Notes:
India’s pygmy hog is the smallest and rarest species of wild pig in the world and is rapidly vanishing from its grasslands. It is one of the few mammals that builds its own nest with a roof for shelter. The species serves as an indicator of grassland health, reflecting the condition of its primary habitat. Pygmy hogs prefer undisturbed riverine grasslands with dense tall grasses, herbs, shrubs, and young trees. Currently, they are found only in Assam’s Manas and Orang National Parks. The species is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
The Rusty-spotted Cat, one of the rarest and smallest wild cats in the world, was recently spotted in the Shergarh forest of Baran district, Rajasthan. It is the world’s smallest and lightest known cat species. The species is found in dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests of northern and central India, the Western Ghats, Kachchh, Rajasthan, and peninsular India. It is also distributed in Nepal and Sri Lanka. India supports about 80 percent of the global population of this species. Its conservation status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is Near Threatened.