Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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A drone-based survey by the Odisha Forest and Environment Department shows that the saltwater crocodile population is increasing. The saltwater crocodile is the largest and heaviest living reptile and is also known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile. It lives in saltwater, brackish wetlands, rivers, and mangroves. The species is found along India’s east coast, Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and Micronesia. In India, it occurs in Odisha, West Bengal, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with Odisha having the highest population in natural habitat. It is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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A new flowering plant species named Strobilanthes riteshii has been formally recorded from Arunachal Pradesh. It belongs to the Acanthaceae family. The plant grows on open hill slopes, often near small waterfalls and streams within evergreen forest patches. Based on current knowledge, it is provisionally assessed as Data Deficient under the IUCN Red List, indicating that more field data is needed to understand its population status and threats.

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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.

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Thailand launched its first rewilding effort by releasing a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark near Maiton Island. Indo-Pacific leopard sharks are also called zebra sharks due to their changing spotted or striped patterns with age. They are slow-swimming reef sharks found in tropical coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is classified as Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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The Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuapada district, Odisha was declared Maoist-free in January 2026, enabling improved wildlife monitoring and conservation activities. In the All-India Tiger Estimation exercise (data yet to be officially released), authorities estimate over 70 leopards, with 90% camera traps capturing leopard images. Nuapada district regularly reports human–leopard conflict, supporting evidence of a strong leopard presence. Reduced Maoist activity enabled camera trap installation across all sanctuary sectors for the first time.

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A recent faunal survey in Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary has greatly increased biodiversity records of Kerala’s youngest protected area. The sanctuary is located in Malappuram district of Kerala on the western slopes of the Nilgiris. Its name comes from the Karimpuzha River, a tributary of the Chaliyar River. The forest forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) and the Nilambur Elephant Reserve (ER). It borders Mukurthi National Park (Tamil Nadu) and Silent Valley National Park (Kerala).

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Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new marine worm species, Namalycastis solenotognatha and Nereis dhritiae, from the West Bengal coast. Namalycastis solenotognatha is named from Greek words meaning “channeled jaw,” referring to its unique jaw with many canals. This species survives in extreme, sulfide-rich, foul-smelling mudflats, mainly on decomposing mangrove wood and hardened clay. Nereis dhritiae is named after Dhriti Banerjee, the first woman Director of ZSI. It lives inside wooden dock piles on sandy beaches submerged during high tide.

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Researchers confirmed a new dragonfly species named Lyriothemis keralensis from the low-lying coastal regions of Kerala. It is commonly called the Slender Bombardier and belongs to the genus Lyriothemis. It was identified as a separate species after detailed comparison with its Northeast Indian relative Lyriothemis acigastra. The species has a slender abdomen, uniquely shaped tail, and distinct genital structures. It appears during the monsoon season and disappears as rainfall decreases.

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Scientists warned that the Thwaites Glacier is melting rapidly due to human-induced climate change. It is a massive glacier in West Antarctica, often called the Doomsday Glacier. The glacier is very wide and fast-flowing, roughly the size of Florida or Great Britain. It is extremely important because it already contributes about 4% to global annual sea-level rise. Studies show it is thinning, retreating, and adding more meltwater to the oceans. If it collapses, it could destabilise the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, causing severe sea-level rise.

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Recently, researchers from Karnataka and Odisha discovered two new species of army ants, Aenictus chittoorensis and Aenictus lankamallensis, in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. Army ants are nomadic ant species that do not build permanent nests and belong to the subfamily Dorylinae. They are highly aggressive predators primarily found in tropical ecosystems. Instead of constructing fixed nests, they form temporary living structures called bivouacs, which are made entirely from the interlinked bodies of worker ants. Army ants are social insects that live in massive colonies and carry out highly coordinated group raids, preying on insects and small animals.