|
The book “Animal Discoveries – 2008”
records 37 new species in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka during 2008 by the scientists
of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). These
include12 Amphibians, 14 Insects and 11 Nematodes besides 9 new records of
2 Amphibians; 6 insects and one Nematode forma 13 Indian States and two neighbouring
counties, namely Nepal and Sri Lanka also find place in this book. In
addition, the scientists outside ZSI also have contributed two new spices
of Cladocera and one new record of Sea spider from
India. The compilation and publication
of all these discoveries, vital additions to the animal science of India and
the world, have been started since the year 2007, which contained information
of 67 new species and several new records.
All living things are divided into
seven categories using Latin terms that can be understood worldwide. They
progressively get smaller and more numerous, and each contains less living
things. Classification of living things is used to help identify different
animals and to group them together with their relatives.
The first and largest category is the
Kingdom. To date there are five kingdoms: Animalia,
which is made up of animals; Plantae, which is made
up of plants; Protista, which is made up of protists (single-celled creatures invisible to the human eye);
Fungi, which is made up of mushrooms, mold, yeast, lichen, etc; and Monera, which is made up of the three types of bacteria. It
is further divided into Phylum, Class, Order, Families, genus and species.
Sometimes each category is broken into sub-categories.
Most animals are given common names
recognized outside of the scientific community and that these names may be
different in each country. For example, in Canada, a certain type of spider is
known as the daddy long-legs and is known as the harvester spider in the United
States. However, the Latin term remains
the same.
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
was established in 1916, primarily to explore and inventories the faunal resources
(diversity) of the country and to collect
and document the base line data with regard to taxonomy , distribution, bio-ecology,
etc., of all animal groups. During the last 91 years and largely particularly
from the Second Five Plan period the Zoological Survey of India has grown
from a small unit at the Indian Museum, Calcutta, to a premier National Institution
with 16 Regional and Fields Stations spread all over India with Headquarters
at Calcutta. Over the successive plan periods the factions
of Zoological Survey of India have also expanded gradually encompassing areas
like the Environmental Impact Assessment with regard to fauna; of Conservation
Areas; Status Survey of Endangered Species; Chromosomal Mapping and DNA Finger
Printing, Computerization of data on faunal resources; Environmental Information
System (ENVIS) on faunal diversity, etc. This Organization also has a regular Training
and Extension service for creating
public awareness for the conservation of
environment and wildlife through exhibitions
training programmes on ornithology, wildlife conservation and Environmental
Awareness, Methodologies on Collection,
preservation and identification of zoological specimens, etc. and interaction
with different Government and NGOs, as well as universities, colleges and
schools.
The
experts of ZSI also identify the seized wildlife material received for different
Government organizations. Besides,
Zoological Survey of India also acts as a custodian of the National Zoological
Collections which comprise more than two million specimens belonging to some
81,000 species including about 10,000 species of other neighbouring countries
like Myanmar, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Initially, Zoological Survey of India
set up nine Regional and Field Stations, namely Northern Regional Station
at Dehra Dun; Southern Regional Station at Madras; Eastern Regional Station
at Shillong; Western Regional Station at Pune;
Central Regional Station at Jabalpur; Desert Regional Station at Jodhpur;
Genetic Plains Regional Station at
Patna; Marine Biological Station at Chennai; and High Altitude Zoology Field
Stations at Solan to survey and study the fauna
of different biographic zones of India. Subsequently during 1979-1983, six more stations were established to conduct faunistic
surveys in some important ecosystems: namely, Freshwater Biological station
at Hyderabad for freshwater fauna and limn logical studies: Estuarine Biological
Station at Berhampur and Sunderbans
Fields Research Station at Port Canning, for estuarine and mangrove fauna
studies; Western Ghats Fields Research station at Kozhikode and Arunachal
Pradesh Fields station at Itanagar for the fauna of tropical rain forests and the Andaman
& Nicobar Regional Station at Port Blair for insular and marine Fauna.
During the Seventh Five Year Plan period the Marine Aquarium–cum–Research
Centre at Digha (West Bengal) was set-up mainly
to cater the needs of public education and awareness on main fauna through
a large aquarium and other ancillary research facilities. Recently the Eastern
Regional Station completed its 50
years of Golden Jubilee celebration.
In order to understand the occurrence,
abundance and distribution of species in space and time, its relationship
with biotic and abiotic conditions of the environment
and its mode of life particularly feeding and reproduction, extensive and
intensive fields’ studies are essential prerequisite. Today, the Zoological
Survey of India is the only organization in the country having a massive set-up
for survey of exploration of the faunal diversity in all parts of the country
as well as different eco-zones. The scientists undertake every year nearly
160 surveys in different ecosystems. The ZSI is also deputing scientists in
Indian Antarctic Scientific Expedition and till date 11 Scientists successfully
completed the expedition. They have described seven new species to science
and several new records of animal of species from Antarctic continent. Based
on the survey and explorations, scientists and naturalists of Zoological Survey
of India brought our authenticated document on different group animal under
“Fauna of India” (Formerly Fauna of British India) series containing the description
of known animals in the country.
During recent years, the scope and functions
of the Zoological Survey of India have been considerably expanded, particular
in the light of the Convention on Biological ratified by Govt. of India in
1994 with special reference to Articles 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18,or 41 of
the Convention. In the light of the above, the objectives and implementation
strategies for the Eleventh Five Year Plan are given below:
Primary Objectives
1. Exploration,
Survey, Inventorisation Monitoring of Fauna Diversity in various states, some
selected ecosystems and protected areas of India.
2. Status
survey of Threatened and Endemic species
3. Taxonomic
studies of all faunal comments collected.
4. Preparation
of Red Data Book, Fauna of India and Fauna of states.
5. Bio-ecological
studies on some important communities/ species.
6. Preparation
of database for the recorded species of the country.
7. Maintenance
& Development of National Zoological collections.
8. Training,
Capacity Building and Human Resource Development.
9. Faunal
Identification Advisory series and Library Services.
10. Publication
of results including Fauna of States.
In the Eleventh Five Year Plan period,
the following ongoing and new programmes have been proposed, largely to objective
described as under.
Programmes under implementation:
1. Exploration
and Survey of States Fauna (District-wise),
2. Studies
on selected ecosystems of Indian Region,
3. Survey
of protected Area including Tiger Reserves and to take up the programme on the
principles of Rapid Assessment Survey to explore more number of Protected Areas
(within the time limit)
4. Taxonomic
studies of Faunal Components (of all the above group)
5. Status
survey of Endangered species, including
the revision of procedures for Schedule animal biased on the IUCN Guidelines
6. Publication
of Red Data Book and Fauna of Indian Volumes.
7. Computerization
of data Faunal diversity including National Zoological Collections, (including
the Digitisation on type and National Zoological collections)
8. Documentation
and publications.
9. Training
and Extension Services.
NEW PROGRAMMES
1. Survey
and Inventorisation of Marine Bio-diversity.
2. Establishment of new unit at Jamnagar, Gujarat to assess the faunal
diversity of Marine Protected Area, Desert ecosystems
3. Establishment
if new unit at Gangtok,
Sikkim to assess the faunal diversity of Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve,
monitor the diversity and distribution of the faunal elements of the Eastern
Himalayan which is one of the Indian Hot spot.
4. Monitoring
the status of selected animals included in the Wildlife Schedules.
5. Development
of Taxonomic expertise in the form of Human Resources development.
KP/AV
|
New 37 Animal species discovered during 2008
