The four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), or chousingha, is a species of small antelope found in open forest in India and Nepal.
It is only member living in its genus Tetracerus, others being extinct…. It is smallest of Asian bovids. Males are unique among ammals in that they possess Four permanent Horns…. The species is listed vulnerable By IUCN ….
A very important animal to India…… very specific animal- it is only known mammal with four horns on its head…..
Musk deer live mainly in forested and alpine scrub habitats in the mountains of southern Asia, notably the Himalayas. A wide variety of species is found in Asia and are restricted to Asia as are extinct in other parts of world….
Musk deer resemble small deer with a stocky build, and hind legs longer than their front legs. They have no antlers, but the males do have enlarged upper canines, forming sabre-like tusks. The musk gland is found only in adult males. It lies in a sac located between the genitals and the umbilicus and its secretions are most likely used to attract mates. The musk gland is of great human importance…. the secretions of musk gland have very pleasant smell and is mainly used in perfume industry……… It is listed as endangered by the IUCN because of over-exploitation resulting in a probable serious population decline. It is the state animal of Uttarakhand….
As the musk the deer produces is in demand for the manufacture of perfumes and medicines, it is highly valuable. Since the species is endangered and hard to find, its value on the wildlife trade market is increased still further. The hunting and trade of the white-bellied musk deer is the main threat to the species. Deer musk may sell for as much as $45,000/kg (29,80,910.25 Indian Rupee), making it one of the most valuable animal-derived products in the world. Hunters catch and kill the deer using snares. Only males produce the musk, so this creates a problem because females and young are caught in the traps and killed.
ONE MORE BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL SUFFERING THE GREED OF HUMAN……..
Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a frog species belonging to the family Sooglossidae. It can be found in the Western Ghats in India. Names in English that have been used for this species are purple frog, Indian purple frog or pignose frog. Although the adult frog was formally described in October 2003, the taxon was recognized much earlier by its tadpole, which had been described in 1918. With its closest relatives in the Seychelles, Nasikabatrachus is thought to have evolved separately for millions of years. Its discovery also adds to the evidence that madagascar and the Seychelles separated from the Indian landmass sometime well after the breakup of Gondwana had started…..
The species was described from specimens collected in the Idukki district of Kerala in 2003, However, it was already well known to the local people and several earlier documented specimens and publications had been ignored by the authors in the 2003 paper that describes the genus and species….
The species is now known to be quite widely distributed in the Western Ghats, ranging from the Camel’s Hump Hills Range in the north, all the way to the northernmost portions of the Agasthyamalai Hill Range in the south….
The frog spends most of the year underground, surfacing only for about two weeks, during the monsoon, for purposes of mating. The frog’s reclusive lifestyle is what caused the adults to escape earlier notice by biologists, and hence delay its scientific description. The breeding season is during the pre-monsoon rains, primarily in May. The males call from burrows beside headwater streams and when approached by females, mount them in amplexus. While in amplexus in the pectoral position, the male tightly holds the vertebral column of the female. The pair then enters a crevice in a rock pool amid a flowing stream and lay their eggs inside. More than 3000 eggs are laid as part of a clutch. The tadpoles metamorphose after around 100 days
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Unlike many other burrowing species of frogs that emerge and feed above the ground, this species has been found to forage underground, feeding mainly on termites using their tongue and a special buccal groove….
WITH THANKS TO WIKIPEDIA…..AND GOOGLE………. 😉
The wildlife in India comprises a mix of species of different types of organisms.Apart from a handful of the major farm animals such as cows, buffaloes, goats, poultry, and camels, India has an amazingly wide variety of animals native to the country. It is home to Bengal Tigers,Asiatic Lion, Deers, Pythons, Wolf, foxes, bears, crocodiles, monkeys, snakes species, varieties of bison and the Asian Elephant. The region’s rich and diverse wildlife is preserved in 120+ national parks, 18 biosphere reserves and 500+ Wildlife sanctuaries across the country. India has some of the most biodiverse regions of the world and hosts three of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots – or treasure-houses – that is the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas and Indo- Burma. Since India is home to a number of rare and threatened animal species, wildlife management in the country is essential to preserve these species. India is one of the seventeen Megadiverse countries
According to one study, India along with other 16 mega diverse countries is home to about 60-70 % of the world’s biodiversity. And these pictures are just little hints of what you can expect….. With thanks to wikipedia and Google… 🙂
Life In Wildlife 