Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise, is recognized as the oldest-known terrestrial animal and the oldest turtle ever recorded by Guinness World Records. He is approximately 194 years old, believed to have been born around 1832. Jonathan lives on Saint Helena Island. The average lifespan of a Seychelles giant tortoise is about 150 years, making Jonathan an exceptional case. Despite his age, he remains active and has a healthy appetite, though he has lost his sense of smell. Scientists are studying his DNA to understand longevity and age-related cellular changes.

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The ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai, has successfully demonstrated Blue Swimmer Crab farming technology for the first time in India. Blue Swimmer Crab belongs to the Portunidae family of brachyuran crabs. It is also known as the blue crab, flower crab, or blue manna crab. The species is identified by paddle-like hind legs used for swimming and nine spines along its carapace. In India, it is found along both east and west coasts, especially in Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar. It feeds on bivalves, fish, and macroalgae and usually remains buried in sand or mud.

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Scientists have discovered a new genus and species of tiny blind freshwater fish in a dug-out well in Goalpara district of Assam near the Brahmaputra valley. The species has been named Gitchak nakana, with its name derived from Garo words meaning “blind fish.” The fish is translucent, pigmentless, and completely eyeless, and represents a new subterranean (underground water) species from India. It is the first aquifer-dwelling (phreatobitic) fish reported from Northeast India, highlighting a previously unknown underground ecosystem.

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Researchers have discovered a new genus and species of tiger moth named Antaram idukki in the southern Western Ghats. It was discovered in Idukki district, Kerala. So far, the species is known only from the Idukki region. Tiger moths play an important ecological role as pollinators, especially for plants that bloom at night. They also serve as a food source for birds, bats, and other wildlife.

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The All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2026 recorded a strong tiger presence in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in the Nallamala Hills of the Eastern Ghats in Telangana. It was carved out of the former Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The reserve is known for its rugged terrain, deep valleys, and dense forests. The Krishna River and its perennial streams flow through the reserve and support the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.

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Behali Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas in Sonitpur district, Assam. The sanctuary serves as an important elephant corridor connecting with Kaziranga National Park. It forms part of the Sonitpur Elephant Reserve, which was notified in 2003. Recently, the sanctuary was in the news due to alleged illegal encroachment, large-scale tree felling, and firing on forest personnel.

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Cyananthus hookeri, a rare Himalayan flowering plant, has been recorded in Arunachal Pradesh after 158 years, marking its first confirmed sighting in India since 1867. The species was discovered by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) near Chuna Valley, Mago village, in Tawang district at an altitude of about 3,600 metres. It belongs to the Campanulaceae (bellflower) family and bears purple-blue flowers. The plant was last recorded in India by Joseph Dalton Hooker in Sikkim in 1867. The species is also found in Bhutan, Nepal, and China, while Arunachal Pradesh forms part of the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.

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Severe environmental degradation has been reported along the Ayad River in Udaipur, Rajasthan, due to pollution, concretisation, and inadequate waste management. The Ayad River, also known as the Ahar River, originates in the Gogunda Hills of north-west Udaipur district. It flows through Udaipur city, receives water from Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake, and feeds Udaisagar Lake. The river is seasonal, with about 90% of its rainfall received during the southwest monsoon.

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Researchers have confirmed the discovery of Colobus congoensis, a new species of African monkey, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was found in the rainforests between the Lomami and Congo (Lualaba) rivers. Locally known as the Likweli, it is only the fifth new monkey species discovered in Africa in the last 75 years. The species is distinguished by its glossy black coat, orange-cream facial markings, long tail, and roaring call. Due to its restricted range, small population, hunting, and habitat loss, researchers have recommended its classification as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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The Laudankia Vine Snake (Ahaetulla laudankia) was recently photographed in Ubeshwar Wildlife Area, Udaipur (Rajasthan). It is a diurnal (day-active) and arboreal (tree-dwelling) snake belonging to the vine snake group. It is endemic to India, with a distribution from the Eastern Ghats through Central India to eastern Rajasthan. It inhabits dry deciduous forests, scrublands, hill slopes, and other natural green habitats. It is identified by its slender vine-like body, chestnut-brown colour, pointed snout, large eyes, and horizontal pupils.