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Encyclopaedia of India’s Species

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Deep Dives

Facts, stories, and everything you want to know about a species
Photo Story
Under the Pale Moonlight: The Nightlife of Lakshadweep’s Reefs
When the sun sets, a new marine world arises. Corals come alive. Nocturnal crustaceans like crabs and cowries come out of their crevices to look for food.
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Satyr tragopan
Satyr tragopan
Tortoise beetle
Tortoise beetle
Pig-tailed macaque
Pig-tailed macaque
Satyr tragopan
Satyr tragopan
Tortoise beetle
Tortoise beetle
Pig-tailed macaque
Pig-tailed macaque
Satyr tragopan
Satyr tragopan
Tortoise beetle
Tortoise beetle
Pig-tailed macaque
Pig-tailed macaque
Shillong bush frog
Shillong bush frog
Chitons
Chitons
Boxfish
Boxfish
Shillong bush frog
Shillong bush frog
Chitons
Chitons
Boxfish
Boxfish
Shillong bush frog
Shillong bush frog
Chitons
Chitons
Boxfish
Boxfish
Scarlet finch
Scarlet finch
Red panda
Red panda
Southern flying lizard
Southern flying lizard
Scarlet finch
Scarlet finch
Red panda
Red panda
Southern flying lizard
Southern flying lizard
Scarlet finch
Scarlet finch
Red panda
Red panda
Southern flying lizard
Southern flying lizard
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Species Compendium

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Nicobar Treeshrew: Squeaking Spy and Forest Alarmist
The Soaring Raptor of the Changthang Skies
Flying Wizard: Draco the Gliding Lizard
Saltwater Crocodile: Dragons of the Sundarbans Swamps
Protecting the Snow Leopards of Asia’s Mountains
Rocky Road: Change is in the Air for the Himalayan Brown Bear
A Day in the Life of a Madras Hedgehog
Bengal Fox: Resilient Canid of Indian Grasslands
Marine Flatworms: Magic Carpets of the Seas
Ruby-tailed Hawklet: Black Dragon in Red Shorts
Blue-necked Reedtail: The Mysterious Damselfly
Tenacious Triggerfish: The Territorial Reef Residents
Butterflyfish in a Coral Garden
Cliff Hanger: The Blue Sheep That Isn’t
The Forgotten Tale of Black-Bellied Sandgrouse
Little Grebe: Artwork of Evolution
Cross Connections: The Story of Humans, Urial, and their Kin
Where the Bank Myna Sings
Nilgiri Tahr: The Little-known Mountain Monarch of the Anaimalai Hills
Spirals Through Time: Evolution of Orb-weaver Webs
Nest of Deception: When Spiders Mimic Weaver Ants
What Lies Beneath: Rough-scaled Sand Boa
Wings of Wonder: Butterflies of Hollongapar
Oysters: Tied to the Web of Life
Fireflies: Bioluminescent Beauties Light Up the Trees
At a Canter: The Kiang of the Changthang
Chitons: Primitive Inhabitants of Today’s Seashores
Golden Jackal: Wandering Howler of Indian Jungles and Backyards
White-naped Tit: Whistler in the Bush
Here, There, Everywhere: The Muggers of Chambal
The Titans: Hefty, Dark, and Handsome Gaur
Minivets: Small, Ember Birds of Tropical Forests
Jeypore Ground Gecko: Hidden in the Mountains
Pins and Needles: The Indian Crested Porcupine
Black Drongo: The Ventriloquist in the Vicinity
Bewitching Butterflies Take Wing
Stream Ruby: Jewel of Forest Streams
Sea Urchins: Hedgehogs of the Ocean
White-throated Brown Hornbills: Cackling in Assam’s Lowland Rainforests
Living on the Edge: The Pir Panjal Markhor
Modern Family: Observing a Rusty-Spotted Cat Clan in Rajasthan
Walking with Mudskippers: A Fish That’s Happy Out of Water
Indian Paradise Flycatcher: Flash Dance of the Glam King
The Wild Yak: Treasure of the High Plateaus
Snow Leopard: The Ghost Cat and the Art of Waiting
The Dark Knight: Enigma of the Common Krait
Purple Frog: A Brief Interlude from a Secret Life Underground
Flying Solo with a Planthopper in Agumbe
Yellow-throated Marten: Feisty, Fearless Predator of the Himalayas
Sultans of Swing: Hoolock Gibbons Rule the Canopy
Of Forked Tongues and Scaling Fort Walls: Story of the Bengal Monitor Lizard
The Wolves of Velavadar and a Pack of Memories
Lion-tailed Macaque: Acrobats of the Upper Canopy
The Stump-tailed Macaques of Hollongapar
Giant Water Bugs: Close Encounters with Toe Biters
The Crow Pheasant: Neither Crow nor Pheasant
Spotted Owlets: My Fluffy, Head-bobbing Friends
Paranoid Plovers: Lapwings from India
Eurasian Spoonbills: The Moody Minesweepers
Pink-headed Duck: Pronounced Extinct, Verdict Awaited
The Blessed Bears of Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Chirp, Twitter, Tweet: The Wide Vocabulary of Jungle Babblers
The Anemonefish-Anemone Partnership: Not Just Clowning Around
Gharial: Champion for the Chambal
Quest for the Himalayan Giant Honey Bee
Wild and Free: Where the Rock Bees Roam
Gooseneck Barnacles: Rare Delicacy or Dinosaur Feet?
Swimming Amongst Fossils: What Sponges Tell Us About the World
Bryozoans: Moss Animals of the Tidepools
Bright and Bristly: Christmas Tree Worms and Their Festive Whorls
Hermit Crabs: Mobile Home in a Snail Shell
Sand Scavengers: Ghost Crabs in the Intertidal Zone of Chennai’s Elliot’s Beach
Happy Campers: Life Lessons from the Wagtails of India
Collared Falconet: Diminutive Predator of the Aerial World
Angelfish: Bright Blues and Graceful Swims
The Spider’s Wharf: Tales of a Freshwater Fishing Enthusiast
Out of Favour: Prayer for a Mantis
Damselfish: The Farmers of the Reef
Munsiyari’s Omnipresent Alpine Accentors and Their Love Lives
The Rise and Fall of Acropora
Asian Koels: The Songsters of Summer
High Flier: Bar-headed Goose Over the Himalayas
Nilgiri Marten: Phantom of the Western Ghats
Out of Sight: The Rann, Thar, and the Great Indian Bustard
Pangolins in Peril: The Illicit Wildlife Trade has Pushed this Mammal to the Brink of Extinction
Mountain Monarchs of High Asia
Dashing Damselflies: Aerialists in an Arthropod Circus
Lessons in Love (and Housekeeping) from the Malabar Trogon
Nature’s Artists: The World of Potter Wasps
Scarlet Finch: Dazzling Red Feathers
Oriental Magpie-robin: The Tropical Maestro
Mantis Shrimp: Eye-popping Predators of Reefs and Seagrass Meadows
Predator in the Pond: Indian Flapshell Turtle
The Genius Octopus: Programmed to Deceive
Eel Hunter: The Amphibious Life of Sea Kraits
Himalayan Wolf: The Howler of Hanle
Woolly Wolf: An Ancient Lineage in the Himalayas
Black-necked Stork: Silent Resident of the Marshes
A Starburst of Colour and the Quest for a Nest
Living Dragons: Weapons, Defences and the Water Monitor Lizard
Foxy Tales: Look Before You Leap
Furry and Feisty the Desert Fox Endures
Indian Rat Snake: Nature’s Own Pest Control
Going to the Dogs? Turning the Page for India’s Endangered Dhole
Ibisbill in Kashmir: Where Boulders Have Wings
Spider Wasps: Solitary Hunters in our Backyards
Grasslands are the Eastern Swamp Deer’s Only Domain
Birding Star: The Great Indian Hornbill
Nicobar Pigeon: Birds of the Paradise Isles
Island Shenanigans: Nicobar Long-tailed Macaques in a Tropical World by the Sea
Beetles: Tiny Titans of Pollination
Not the Witch’s Steed: Why the Hyena is India’s Most Misunderstood Predator
The Indian Grey Mongoose: The Cobra’s Nemesis
The Corvid Mafiosi: Intelligentsia of the Bird World
Guitarfish: The Threatened Coastal Cruisers of South Goa
Forest Owlet: Resurrected but Endangered
Barn Owls: Caught in the Urban Rat Race
Don’t Kiss and Tell: The Unusual Breeding Behaviour of Humayun’s Wrinkled Frog
Finding Nori: Journey into the Underwater World of Seaweeds
Charles Darwin’s Frog: Tree-nester in the Andaman Islands
Marbled Cat: Master of Stealth in the Treetops
Roosters on the Run: Red and Grey Junglefowl
Parrotfish: Rainbows in the Reef
An Ode to Sponges
Snow Pigeons: A Dash of White
Sorting Hat Spider: Silky Mandalas and Disappearing acts
Luck of the Draw: Spotting Asiatic Lions in Gir
Cormorants: Hung Out to Dry
Decoding the Wheatears of India
Watching Vultures Around Munsiyari
Blackbuck Beauties at the Point of Protection
Mynas and Starlings: Birds With Attitude
Indian Swiftlet: The Best Kept Secret of Vengurla Rocks
Is the Jerdon’s Courser Extinct?
Plain Mountain Finches in Sleet and Snow
Common Kingfisher: The Bolt of Blue
Little File Snake: The Silent Predator
High as a Kite: Maestros of Indian Skies
The Breathtaking Blues of the Raucous Indian Roller
Barbets of India: Send in the Clowns
Common Picturewing: The Flying Floral Carpet
Shieldtails: Hidden Beauties of the Underground
Rajasthan Toad-headed Agama: Master of the Shifting Sands
Termites: Architects, Farmers, Ecosystem Engineers (and Pests)
Bejewelled: On the Trail of the Himalayan Monal in Uttarakhand
Oriental Garden Lizards: Quick Learners or Bloodsuckers?
The True Tree World of Golden Langurs
Pretty Cochoas: Sparking Joy in the Himalayas
Peafowl Tales: Flamboyant Trains and Screeching Calls
Trinket Snakes and Their Treasured Personal Space
Cosy Colonies of Wondrous, Wily Weavers
Beauty or Beast? The Lionfish Conundrum
Playing Hide and Seek with the Nicobar Megapode
Fantastic Falcons: Streamlined, Superfast Raptors in Many Avatars
Hawk Assault: Agile Hunters on a Wing
Loud and Clear: Bullfrogs of India
Asian Glass Lizard: Jewel-toned Enigma from the Northeast
Ornate Flying Snake: Nature’s Gliding Jewel
Hide and Seek: The Water Drop Frog of the Western Ghats
Pigeons and Doves: Lovey-Dovey and Very Savvy
Protecting the Sacred Fish of the Cauvery
Knock on Wood: The Pygmy Woodpecker Makes an Appearance
In my Backyard: The Oriental Honey-buzzard
The Common Tailorbird Stitches its Magic
Playful Parakeets: Green Chilli-shaped Missiles of Entertainment
Back from the Brink: Saltwater Crocodiles in Bhitarkanika
The Babblers Five: Soul Sisters and Charming Angry Birds
Sticking Point: Bewitched by the Brown Shrike
Bare Truth: Why We Need to Save Our Sloth Bears
Humpback Mahseer: Big Fish in a Small World
Andaman Day Gecko: Fleet-footed Flecks of Green
Spectacled Cobra: An Unwilling Icon
A Hidden Life: The Impressed Tortoise in Central Arunachal Pradesh
Vanishing Act: The Slow Decline of Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtle
Huddle Together: Social Spiders and Their Myriad Guests
The Rousing Call of the Common Hawk-Cuckoo
Fishing Friends: Irrawaddy Dolphins and the Fishers of Chilika Lagoon
Life Without Light: Creatures of Meghalaya’s Caves
Peculiar Pelicans: Gawky, Grand and Graceful Waterbirds
Indian Rock Python: Of Legends and Leather Bags
How the Common Palm Squirrel Earned its Stripes
Blend in to Survive, Says the Red-Wattled Lapwing
Red Panda, the Cuddly Asian Bamboo Eater
Victims of a Vile Trade, Pangolins are Almost Extinct
Moon Jellyfish: A Surreal Stinger
Fan-Throated Lizards: A Flash of Fabulous
Dholes: The Fearless Communal Pack Hunters
Buzz and Snap: A Gharial in the Bend of the River
Frogfish, the Camouflaged Killer of the Deep
High Life: Gliding Frogs of the Western Ghats
India’s Prehistoric Unicorns: The Rhinos of Kaziranga
Spotting a Mighty Troop of Stump-tailed Macaques
Hunter on the Beel: The Grey-headed Fish Eagle
Bengal Florican: Erstwhile King of the Grasslands
Malahari and Onti: Squirrels in a Dwindling Forest
Pig-tailed Macaque: Elusive Monkey of the Deep Forest
Bengal Slow Loris: The Fiery-Eyed Wonder of the Night
Antics and Ambush of the Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo
Abbott’s Babbler: Brown Daub on the Green Canvas
Malabar Pit Viper: Ambush in the Well of Life and Death
Chronicles of the Forest Calotes
King Cobra: The World’s Longest Venomous Snake
Bowled Over by the Beautiful Pallas’s Squirrel
Baby of the Forest: In Search of the Malabar Grey Slender Loris
Himalayan Marmots: Sharp Sentinels of Ladakh
Tall, Dark and Handsome: The Greater Adjutant
Leaf Masquerade of the Vine Snake
Malabar Grey Hornbills: Gardeners of the Rainforest
Meet the Pygmy Hog, the Rarest Pig in the World
Bearded Vulture: The Marrow-Minded Raptor
Seeking the Elusive Stone Marten in the Wilds of Spiti Valley
Shadow in the Sand: Encountering the Toad-headed Agama in Ladakh
White-browed Bushchat: The Enigmatic Desert Dancer
The Trickster of the Desert: Greater Hoopoe Lark
Rufous-bellied Woodpecker: A (W)holesome Guide
Hornbills of India: Encounters to Remember
Leap of Faith: The Magical World of Jumping Spiders
Snare Traps and Night-vision Goggles: Net-casting Spider on a Hunt
Meet Spiny, the Only Herbivorous Lizard Species in India
Petite but Deadly: Secrets of the Saw-scaled Viper
Why Rann When you can fly: The Bar-headed Geese of Gujarat
Tactical Tails: Life Moves in Slow Motion for the Spiny-tailed Lizard
Montagu’s Harriers: The Slender Hawks of Velavadar
Learning the Fox Trot: In Pursuit of the Bushy-Tailed Red Fox in Spiti Valley
Smooth-Coated Otters: A Rough Ride Along Transforming Rivers
A Tux and a Dance: A Day in the Life of the Common Coot
Unfair Game: The Plight of the MacQueen’s Bustard
Smooth-coated otters: Slick Operators of Coringa
Weaver Ants: Leafy Kingdoms and New Empires
Chinkara: The Graceful Gazelles of Saswad
Canopy Colonisers: Battles of the Weaver Ant Armies
Project Camouflage: Styles and Survival Strategies of Decorator Crabs
The Mangrove Pitta: A Blue Streak in the Mud
Dazzled by the Golden Gecko: Dainty Lizard of the Ruins
No Laughing Matter: Nilgiri Laughingthrush and its Habitats at Risk
Phayre’s Langur: A Future Denied
Guest List of Thousands: Demoiselle Cranes in Kheechan
Malabar Pied Hornbill: In Tuxedos for the Fruit Party
Barking Deer or Indian Muntjac: The Solitary Reaper
Bewitching Blennies: Pixies of the Seas
Shaking a Leg with the Kottigehar Dancing Frog
Painted Storks: The Winged Daughters of Kokkarebellur
Dark Side: Spotting a Leopard in Panna Tiger Reserve
The Bengal Slow Loris: Disappearing Gently into That Good Night
Fleet-footed Tahrs: Lords of the Pinnacles
Tall, Dark, and Lonesome: The White-bellied Heron’s Last Call for Help
Fear and Fascination on the Trail of the Mugger
Indian Pitta: A Whistling, Winged Rainbow
Night Flyer: The Red Giant Gliding Squirrel in Namdapha National Park
Green Munia: The Gullible Beauty of the Scrub Forest
Monsoon Musicians: Songs of the Cicadas
Hump-nosed Pit Viper: Gem on the Forest Floor
Horned Lark: The Crazy Bird and its Crazy Nest
Accidental Tourist: The Vagrant Long-Billed Dowitcher
Bold and Beautiful: Panna’s Glorious Tigers
Orb-weaving Spiders in Art and Imagination
A Hidden Life: The Mystery of the Eurasian Otter
Mugger: River Monster or Peaceful Giant?
Chousingha: The Shy Four-horned Antelope
Narcondam Hornbills: Gardeners of their Island Eden
Love at First Dance: The Charming Romance of Great Crested Grebes
Frabjous Flamingos: Haughty Ballerinas of the Wetlands
Mischief Makers: The Disgraceful Antics of Graceful Gulls
Smart and Saucy: The Story of Wild Squids
Indian Grey Wolf: Ghosts of The Grasslands
Indian Chameleon and the Art of Disappearing
Indian Grey Hornbill: Unsung Hero of Urban Forests
Dizzying Decline of the Indian Vulture
Sunbirds: Zippy Popstars Dressed to the Nines
Seeking the Satyr Tragopan Along a Mountain Road
Poop, Prints and Paintings: Tracing the Tamiraparani’s Otters
Painted Sandgrouse: The Art of Blending In
Love is in the Air: Indian Bullfrogs and the Romance of the Monsoon
Indian Desert Jird: Tiny Musketeer of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert
White-winged Wood Duck: An Icon of Forest Pools
In Search of the Elusive Indian Desert Cat
Rare Black-breasted Parrotbills Hide in the Grasslands
Storks: Birds with Broadsword Bills
Cranes: Trumpeters of the Skies
Sky Skaters: Sally Forth with Vibrant Bee-eaters
By the Flock: Decline of the Yellow-breasted Bunting
Choughs: Gurus of the Mountain Skies
Jackdaw: Menacing-Looking Affable Crows
The Grandala: Flying Blue Gem of the Himalayas
A Fine Balance: Irrawaddy Dolphins in Chilika Lake
Boxfish: An Evolutionary Guide to Self-preservation
Bulbuls: Play on Merry Minstrels
Playing Hide and Seek with the Saw-Scaled Viper in Goa
Wandering Glider: World Traveller and Weather Vane
Dwindling Dugongs: Meandering Trails in Seagrass Meadows
Russell’s Vipers: Predators of the Undergrowth
Hoot and Screech: From Giant Owls to Little Elves
Sea Cucumbers: Silent Superheroes of the Seas
Getting to Know You: Diving Into the Amazing World of Sharks
Nymphs, Love Spells, and the Eurasian Wryneck
In the Sundarbans, the Bengal Tiger is Always Watching You
Huntsman Spider: Apex Predator in a Microhabitat
Amazing Grace: The Dancing Black-necked Cranes of Ladakh
Clouds, Hills, and Sightings of the Nilgiri Tahr
The Amur Falcon and the Mysteries of Bird Migration
Pussyfooting Parliamentarians: Short-eared Owls in the Little Rann
Short-eared Owl: Hidden Winter Resident of the Grasslands
Montagu’s Harrier: Prowlers on the Grassland
Demoiselle Cranes: High-Flying Damsels
Enter the Mysterious World of Camel Spiders
Sparrows: Fall of the Little Birds
Wings of Chance: The Accidental Discovery of the Apatani Glory Moth
When Elephants Rage
The Eight-Legged Wolf with Stars in its Eyes
The Fabulous, Functional World of Sea Slugs
Skittering Frogs: Look Closely, They’re Floating on Water Everywhere
Edible-nest Swiftlet: Little Bird with an Expensive Nest
Shillong Bush Frog: Ticking its Way Through the Monsoon
Ominous Owls: Sharp-eyed Hunters of the Night
Hawkfish Hues: Of Underwater Hunts and Hairy Spines
I Want It All: The Checkered Keelback’s Game Plan
The Grand Old Buffaloes of the Savannah Need Protection
Secret Life of the Mouse Deer
Smaller Herons and Egrets: Hunchbacks and Those Lovely in Lace
A Lifetime of Love: The Romance of the Sarus Cranes
Chinkara: The Dainty Desert Ballerina
The Rare Hawkmoths of Ladakh
Big Herons: Those Grouchy old Fishermen
Skylords: View from the Eagles’ Eyrie
Himalayan Monal: Monarch of the High Mountains
Great Barracuda: Shiny and Scary but Surprisingly Shy
Red Panda: Under the Radar in Singalila
Here’s why Birds Avoid the Red-spot Jezebel Butterfly
Black-necked Stork in the Eye of the Marsh
First Among Equals: Wild Asses of the Little Rann of Kutch
Spotted Creeper in the Khejri Tree
The Monkey with a Beanie: The Capped Langurs of Hollongapar
Dung Beetles: The Little Things That Run the World
Hop, Skip, Run: The Hardy Pikas of Ladakh
Thriving in Thin Air: Pikas of the Himalayan Talus
Getting Into a Huddle: The Himalayan Marmot Family
Spider Hunting Spider: Portia and the Art of Problem Solving
Miracle on a Beach: A Night with the Ancients
Hunter Among the Mangroves: The Fishing Cat of Coringa
Croc Talk: Of Salt, Scales, and Swamps
Dog-faced Water Snake: Sludge and Salt in the Intertidal Zone
Staying Alive: South Asian River Dolphins
Painted Storks: Colouring the Coringa Wetlands
Raiders of the Anthill: Sloth Bears of Kumbhalgarh
Locust Swarms: Pests or Actors in the Ecosystem?
Catch a Spot of Iridescence When a Gaudy Baron Flits By
Where the Wild Cat Roams: On Spotting the Black-Eared One
The Sandgrouse has a Trick up its Belly
Clash of the Titans: When the King Cobra Meets a Rock Python
On the Fly: An Afternoon with the Dragon Lizards of Agumbe
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