Deserts
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80 Results
Scorpions: Facts, Habitat, Defences
All you need to know about these nocturnal, predatory arachnids.
Infographic
Delicate Balance: Agro-pastoral Life in the Spiti Valley
In the fragile ecological landscape of the high Himalayas in Spiti, local communities have found sustainable ways of encouraging tourism and generating livelihoods that are respectful of the environment and local culture
Wild Vault
The Forgotten Tale of Black-Bellied Sandgrouse
An extraordinary number of sandgrouse would visit the princely state of Bikaner, Rajasthan for over half a century from the 1890s, offering the maharaja bragging rights and the British elite, thrilling shooting opportunities
Species
Laungwala Toad-headed Agama: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this lizard that thrives in the Thar desert
Infographic
Art Expedition: On the Trail of the Great Indian Bustard
Wildlife artist Sangeetha Kadur illustrates the critically endangered bustard, and its neighbours, in Rajasthan’s Desert National Park
Wild Vault
The Guide: Desert National Park
Far from empty, this park in Rajasthan has a wealth of birds, reptiles, mammals, and even flowering plants
Travel
Indian Desert Jird: Tiny Musketeer of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert
With numerous survival strategies and tricks up its furry sleeves, the Indian desert jird has adapted to live in one of the most hostile ecosystems on the planet
Species
The Kair: Lifeline of the Desert
With its dishevelled appearance and sparse leaves, the kair (khair or ker) may appear unremarkable, but it is a resilient shrub that plays a critical role in sustaining the ecosystem and supporting the lives of the creatures living around it
Habitat
Rajasthan Toad-headed Agama: Master of the Shifting Sands
Of evolutionary significance for conservation, this small agama is found occupying sand dunes that have almost no vegetation, only in a few localities of Jaisalmer District
Species
Rajasthan’s Desert Ecology Impacted by Unusually Heavy Rains
Local flora and fauna is being affected by changes in water availability and vegetation
Conservation
Pallas’s Cat: Silent Predator of the Trans-Himalayas
The cold and windy marshes of Hanle in Ladakh, with an abundance of pika and voles, is an ideal home for the Pallas’s cat. However, increasing construction activity in the area threatens this rich ecosystem
Conservation
Dune Dinos: Laungwala Toad-headed Agama of the Thar Desert
With thick skin, a heavily scaled body, and perfect camouflage, this lizard is well adapted to living in one of the harshest environments in the world
Photo Story
Desert Cat: Raising a Family Under a Thorny Bush
In a sacred grove in Rajasthan, an Indian desert cat has given birth to three mischievous kittens under a thorny bush where they play, fight and goof around. But one afternoon, they go missing, sending the grove’s local guardian on a desperate quest to find them
Video
Spiny‑tailed Lizard: Facts, Size, Habitat
All you need to know about this hardy survivor of extreme deserts
Infographic
Ladakh Pika’s Winter Challenge
Ladakh's winter weakens the strongest, many mammals choose to hibernate or migrate. But not the pikas — these tiny but hardy fur balls stay strong and prepared to face the cold and harsh season
Video
Under the Euphorbia: The Secret Lives of Asiatic Wildcats
A breeding family of Asiatic wildcats make their den below the branches of a thorny Euphorbia bush in a community-conserved sacred grove near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Photo Story
Orans of Rajasthan: A Sacred Oasis at the Cusp of Change
Deg Rai Mata Oran is one of Rajasthan's largest sacred groves. A local guardian tells us how the lives of oran’s people and its biodiversity are intrinsically linked and why the new changes could be detrimental to this sacred oasis
Video
Deg Rai Mata Oran: Grove of the Gods and a Changing Landscape
Rajasthan’s sacred groves, locally called orans, were once secure wildernesses that also supported livelihoods. Today, with power lines and green energy projects dotting the landscape, they are no longer safe spaces for their rare and diverse wild residents
Photo Story
Why the World’s Smallest Crane Flocks to a Dusty Village in Rajasthan
How one man's effort to feed 8O-odd migratory demoiselle cranes, attracted thousands and gave birth to one of Rajasthan's most famous bird sanctuaries. Welcome to Kheechan's annual bird feast — a party with the demoiselle cranes
Video
Demoiselle Cranes and the Great Kheechan Mela
Every year, thousands of demoiselle cranes make their way from breeding grounds in Central Asia to the little town of Kheechan, on the fringes of the Thar Desert. And they are welcomed and well looked after
Photo Story
The Khur of Kutch: The Indian Wild Ass and its Last Home
The Indian wild ass once sprinted across India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. But today, the Little Rann of Kutch is its last remaining refuge
Video
Swarmageddon: How Lonely Grasshoppers Turn Into an Army of Locusts
Locusts and grasshoppers are two forms of the same creature, but a series of chemical reactions turn these lonely hoppers into giant swarms of invasive insects
Column
A Study in Pink: The Flamboyant Flamingos of Kutch
Every monsoon, the sea gushes into Kutch transforming the parched flatland into an oasis, ready to welcome its most flamboyant guests — greater and lesser flamingos
Video
Wild, Wild West: Little Rann of Kutch and Velavadar
On the western edge of India, two astonishing landscapes exist, the Little Rann of Kutch and the rolling grasslands of Velavadar, that teem with the most magnificent creatures
Video
Pink City: When Flamingos take over the Little Rann of Kutch
Every monsoon, vast colonies of greater and lesser flamingos descend upon the seasonal wetlands of Gujarat
Photo Story
Big Little Lives: The Great Diversity of the Little Rann of Kutch
From spiny-tailed lizards to striped hyenas, this marshland supports all manner of life
Photo Story
High and Dry: The Gradual Erosion of Ladakh’s ‘Dry Toilet’ Culture
Burgeoning tourism is pressurising locals in Ladakh to construct water-based toilets that are unsuited for its freezing terrain and only add to its water woes
Wild Vault
Horned Lark: The Crazy Bird and its Crazy Nest
The horned lark cares little for privacy. It builds its nests in open grounds, on compound walls, or even next to busy roads, allowing everyone a glimpse of its private life
Species
MacQueen’s Bustard: Courtship Rituals, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this persecuted bustard
Infographic
Crossing Paths with the Pallas’s Cat in the Trans-Himalaya
A dream, a pursuit, and finally, an encounter with the fabulous, fuzzy ribilik on a rocky outcrop near Hanle in Ladakh
Photo Story
Mum’s the Word with the Desert Fox in the Little Rann
Elusive white-footed vixens rear their pups in hidden burrows of the Little Rann of Kutch
Photo Story
Indian Wild Ass: Facts, Habitats, Threats
Everything you need to know about one of the fastest Indian mammals
Infographic
How Local Communities Help Conserve the Snow Leopard
Community-led initiatives in Ladakh’s Sham Valley have deterred the ‘revenge killing’ of snow leopards and encouraged locals to participate in their conservation
Wild Vault
Keep Calm and Carrion: The Great Vulture Gathering in Jorbeed, Rajasthan
On the outskirts of Bikaner, an animal carcass dumping ground is now a “paradise of raptors”, particularly vultures, the stewards of meat waste
Photo Story
Musa Khan: Birding Star of Desert National Park
A few years ago, Musa Khan could barely identify five birds. Today, renowned wildlife photographers and ornithologists depend on his expertise
Hero
Garnering Community Support for the Great Indian Bustard
A wildlife biologist couple spearhead an effort to involve the local community in conserving Rajasthan’s state bird, the Godawan
Conservation
Indian Desert Fox: Facts, Diet, Habitat
All you need to know about this clever canid
Infographic
Vultures: Scavengers of the Sky at Risk
Vultures are cleaners of our eco-system. Without them unattended carcasses would rot, pollute groundwater and spread diseases. But since the early 9Os, their populations have been plummeting. Are we doing enough to protect them?
Video
Thar: The Secret Lives of a Harsh Desert
The dry and deceptively empty Thar desert has an incredible story to tell – of spectacular diversity, unusual creatures, and exemplary survival strategies
Video
White-Browed Bushchat: Facts, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this enigmatic desert dancer
Infographic
The Daily Dichotomies of Gujarat’s Little Rann of Kutch
Nothing is as it seems in this unique ecosystem in eastern Gujarat
Habitat
Dune Watching in the Thar: Skinks, Scorpions, and Other Small Wonders of the Desert Ecosystem
The diversity of a desert landscape might not be apparent, but it is ever present, and a joy to observe
Photo Story
Great Indian Bustard’s Life on the Edge
Royalty of grasslands and scrublands, the majestic great Indian Bustard once flew across 11 states of the country. But today, fewer than 15O survive in the wild, with Rajasthan being one of its last bastions
Video
Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
Meet the graceful chinkara that springs across the Thar. Also, meet its guardian angels — the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who watch over everything that thrives in the hot desert
Video
Sun and Sand: Spiny-Tailed Lizard’s Day Out
The sun is up in the Thar desert, and cold-blooded spiny-tailed lizards need to step out of their burrow to warm up. But hungry predators lurk just around the corner. Will the alert spiny get away?
Video
Hunters of the Thar: Raptors in Desert National Park
Beyond Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, only the most resilient raptors survive the surreal desert landscape
Photo Story
Dung Beetles: The Little Things That Run the World
They are found nearly all over the planet and are considered engineers of the soil. But why are dung beetles so fascinated with poop?
Species
Unfair Game: The Plight of the MacQueen’s Bustard
This worldwide population of this little-known bustard has been severely harmed by its use as live bait in an illegal hunting sport
Species
Bearded Vulture: Facts, Diet, IUCN Status
Everything you need to know about this bone-swallowing raptor
Infographic
Agile Mountaineer: The Treacherous Summit of the Ibex
Every winter, as heavy snow envelops the Himalayan mountains, the Ibex descends to the lower slopes in search of food. But the journey is long and arduous, and danger lurks at every bend
Video
Himalayan Blue Sheep: Facts, Habitat, Population
An ungulate from the himalayas that is neither blue nor a sheep
Infographic
The Trotter of Ladakh’s Stark Mountains
The rocky Changthang plateau is a study in brown, and galloping along its stark landscape are herds of handsome, graceful and spirited, kiangs
Video
Running Free: Tibetan Wild Ass of the Trans-Himalaya
Grazing and galloping their way through the alpine grasslands and vast plateaus of Ladakh, Tibetan wild asses or kiangs are sturdy, graceful creatures that herd together to defend themselves
Photo Story
The Bear and I: A Quest to Photograph the Himalayan Brown Bear
Patience, perseverance, and expanding knowledge, from 15 years of tracking the Himalayan Brown Bear through the Wilds of Ladakh and Himachal
Photo Story
The Ladakh Urial’s Life at the Edge
The urial has roamed the high mountains of Asia since the Ice Age, but recent climate changes, new developments, competition with livestock, and other shifts are testing its survival skills. Will this monarch of the mountains survive the challenges we throw at it?
Video
Cross Connections: The Story of Humans, Urial, and their Kin
The role of wild sheep in the trajectory of human growth, and other compelling reasons to protect the urial and its habitat
Species
The Fox Trot: The Bushy-tailed Red Fox Goes on a Hunt
Its winter and Ladakh is covered in a blanket of snow, with no signs of life around. But wait, what’s that? Something moves beneath the ground. Will the hungry fox catch its lunch?
Video
All is Not Well with the Himalayan Marmot
These furry creatures are high-altitude champions and can survive through Ladakh's cold, harsh winters, on little food or oxygen. But a new trickier challenge has come their way — the insensitive tourist
Video
Pussyfooting Parliamentarians: Short-eared Owls in the Little Rann
A communal roosting site of this ground dwelling owl in the Little Rann of Kachchh demonstrates the aptness of some collective nouns
Species
The Himalayan Brown Bear’s Life in Snow
It has been a cold and harsh winter in the snow-clad mountains. As the snow melts, a very rare animal wakes up from its long slumber. Meet, one of the most elusive animals of the snow mountains — the Himalayan brown bear
Video
Snow Leopard: The Ghost of the Brown Mountains
In the summers, the bare, endless mountains of Ladakh stretch as far as the eye can see. But hiding in plain sight, along its rugged, rocky edges, is a feline mountain ghost
Video
Desert National Park: The Abundant Life of the Sand and Scrubs
The Desert National Park is anything but deserted. Look closely, and you will spot gazelles, sandgrouses, foxes, snakes, and if you are lucky, the charismatic, critically endangered great Indian bustard
Habitat
Tactical Tails: Life Moves in Slow Motion for the Spiny-tailed Lizard
With a fat tail that is both a boon and bane, this herbivorous reptile has adapted well to a hot, arid habitat
Species
Dance of the Black-necked Cranes in Ladakh
Every year, flocks of black-necked cranes descend upon the Changthang Plateau to breed, nest, and look after their young
Photo Story
Can the Quick Red Fox Jump Over the Ladakhi Dog?
In the Changthang Plateau of Ladakh, conflict between red foxes and packs of free-ranging dogs intensifies
Conservation
Challenge and Change in the Changthang
In this remote, high-altitude plateau of Ladakh, inhabited by Changpa nomads, a worrying transformation of habitat, climate, and lifestyle is under way
Conservation
Meet Spiny, the Only Herbivorous Lizard Species in India
How the spiny-tailed lizard copes with its habitat in the desert and its many predators
Species
How Village Folklore Helps Conserve the Ibex of Pin Valley
In the remote villages of Spiti Valley, people and nature are bound together by instinct and tradition
Conservation
Deserts Decoded
Everything you need to know about these arid landscapes
Explainer
Dune Crickets: The Underdogs of the Thar Desert
The Thar desert in Rajasthan is home to two of the seven known dune cricket species. The insects have adopted mechanisms and lifestyles that help them survive the arid desert climate
News
Snow Leopard: Facts, Diet, and Where it’s Found in India
Everything you need to know about the predator from the high, cold mountains
Infographic
Brooding over the Black-Necked Crane
Encounters and observations of the splendid black-necked cranes at high altitude wetlands
Conservation
Dogs on the Rooftop: Faithful Friends or Fierce Predators?
A dramatic increase in the number of livestock and wildlife being attacked by free-ranging dogs is having an adverse effect on the fragile landscape of the cold desert of Spiti
Conservation
Himalayan Wolf: The Howler of Hanle
Searching for the elusive Tibetan wolf, in the Changthang Plateau of Ladakh
Species
The Trickster of the Desert: Greater Hoopoe Lark
The greater hoopoe lark is clever. When it sees a predator, it fake falls and pretends to be an injured, easy prey, to distract the hunter from its nest
Species
White-browed Bushchat: The Enigmatic Desert Dancer
Little is known about this elusive bird, including why it occasionally puffs its white breast feathers and sways gracefully from side to side, as if to an imagined melody
Species
Shadow in the Sand: Encountering the Toad-headed Agama in Ladakh
Once listed as common, the toad-headed agama is now a rare creature in its native habitat of Ladakh
Species
In Fine Feather: Spotting Birds in Ladakh
Over 3OO species of resident and migratory birds can be found in the seemingly inhospitable high-altitude desert of Ladakh
Habitat
In the Pink: Health and Herding in the Himalayas
Fostering human-wildlife coexistence in the high mountains. Can disease-free pastoral herds translate to healthy wildlife populations?
Conservation
Himalayan Marmots: Sharp Sentinels of Ladakh
Burrowing deep and wrestling their way to survival, these giant ground squirrels live in the high-altitude cold desert of Changthang, Ladakh
Species