Rohan Chakravarty's Blog, page 38

Red-eared Slider

This World Turtle Day, meet an invasive species that is wreaking havoc on Indian turtles and their habitats, thanks to the pet trade. You can help by discouraging the trade in the species (and any other turtle/tortoise), and by NOT releasing a Red-eared Slider into a natural space. You can also help by reporting wild sightings of this species on the India Biodiversity Portal, which researchers from the group 'Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises of India are keeping a track of. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Ecological Grief

A World Biodiversity Day special from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

World Bee Day

Happy World Bee Day! Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Nicobar Development and the Leatherback Turtle

[image error] Niti Aayog's plan to 'develop' Great Nicobar island is moving ahead, with the Environment Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee recommending the site for grant of terms of reference, despite outlining serious environmental concerns with the project. Read more on Pankaj Sekhsaria's article about the developments with the project, which poses serious threats to one of the only nesting populations of leatherback turtles in India, among other fauna and flora. 
A petition started by Dhruvam Desai is on Change.org. You may also write to the MoEFCC and Niti Aayog directly opposing the project if you are convinced about its demerits. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. 

Narcondam Shrew

[image error] Meet the newest mammal discovered from India, an insectivore endemic to the remote Narcondam Island: the Narcondam Shrew! Normally the discovery of a mammal is followed by a lot of fanfare, but curiosity around the news of this shrew's discovery died down both in the media and among the public because of the ongoing COVID crisis, and probably also because Narcondam is not easily accessible to civilians. I hope that wildlife lovers will find a tiny reason to celebrate the addition of this tiny creature to the world's list of mammals, in this moment of doom. Congratulations to scientists from the Zoological Survey of India for a monumental discovery! Comic from my column with The Hindu, my 100th with the paper!  

Biodiversity Map of Assam

(Click on the images for a larger view)





Easily among the states with the richest biodiversity in India, Assam is a true jewel in the North-eastern crown. Its floodplains, both ravaged and replenished by the mighty Brahmaputra, are home to Indian giants like the Asian Elephant and the One-horned Rhinoceros (the state animal), the world's smallest pig- the Pygmy Hog, as well as endangered birds like the Black-breasted Parrotbill. Its forest streams and marshes offer refuge to its state bird, the rare White-winged Wood Duck, and its hills house endemic species like the Cachar Bulbul and the Assam Laughingthrush. Assam's birdlife is much sought after and celebrated by birdwatchers from India and abroad, boasting of nearly 700 bird species, made possible by the merger of the dense Himalayan foothills and the fertile Brahmaputra floodplains in the state. Assam's cities and towns protect rare inhabitants like the Greater Adjutant Stork, and lakes like Maguri Bheel (unfortunately ravaged by an oil fire last year) are home to large numbers of migratory waterfowl, including the critically endangered Baer's Pochard. And its hill forests are home to some of the rarest Indian primates: the Golden Langur, the Hoolock Gibbon, and the Pig-tailed and Stump-tailed Macaques. Assam also has the highest number of freshwater turtle and tortoise species for any state in India!
The compass of the map pays tribute to Hargilla Army, an all-women team dedicated to conserving the Greater Adjutant, led by Ms. Purnima Barman. Thanks to Ms. Archita Baruah Bhattacharya and WWF India for commissioning the illustration! (Copyrights belong to WWF India)

The Mud Dauber Wasp Mom

Meet the Mud Dauber Wasp mom! A Mothers' Day special for my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Caecilian Mothers Day

The Taita African Caecilian, like many other caecilians, grows a special layer of skin to provide nutrition to her 'matriphagous' young. A very happy Mothers' Day to the tastiest, I mean loveliest moms around the world! Comic from my column with The Hindu.
(Even though India has many endemic caecilians, I am not sure if matriphagy has been reported or studied among Indian species.)

Inspiring Environmental Leadership from Around the World

Inspiring environmental leadership from around the world, featuring Costa Rica's Carlos Alvarado Quesada, New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern, Belize's Johnny Briceno, and India's UN Champion of the Earth! Cartoon from my column with The Hindu.

Similarities between the Sand Bubbler Crab and Bill Watterson

Some similarities between the Sand Bubbler Crab and Bill Watterson. A tribute to one of my favourite cartoonists on World Cartoonists' DayFrom my Roundglass Sustain column.