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Encyclopaedia of India’s Species
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Checkered keelback
Common krait
Common trinket snake
Dog-faced water snake
Hump-nosed pit viper
Indian rat snake
Indian rock python
King cobra
Little file snake
Malabar pit viper
Ornate flying snake
Rough-scaled sand boa
Russell's viper
Saw-scaled viper
Sea krait
Shieldtails
Spectacled cobra
Vine snake
Checkered keelback
Common krait
Common trinket snake
Dog-faced water snake
Hump-nosed pit viper
Indian rat snake
Indian rock python
King cobra
Little file snake
Malabar pit viper
Ornate flying snake
Rough-scaled sand boa
Russell's viper
Saw-scaled viper
Sea krait
Shieldtails
Spectacled cobra
Vine snake
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.
Read

Satyr tragopan

Tortoise beetle

Pig-tailed macaque

Satyr tragopan

Tortoise beetle

Pig-tailed macaque

Satyr tragopan

Tortoise beetle

Pig-tailed macaque

Shillong bush frog

Chitons

Boxfish

Shillong bush frog

Chitons

Boxfish

Shillong bush frog

Chitons

Boxfish

Scarlet finch

Red panda

Southern flying lizard

Scarlet finch

Red panda

Southern flying lizard

Scarlet finch

Red panda

Southern flying lizard
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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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