Hot Desert
38 Results
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
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
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
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
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
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
MacQueen’s Bustard: Courtship Rituals, Habitat, Threats
All you need to know about this persecuted bustard
Infographic
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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