Indian fauna portal records several new entries

India’s faunal database has 683 new entries, including 459 newly-discovered species and 224 species. These findings were published in Animal Discoveries-2024, released recently to mark the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) Day by Indian Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Mr Bhupender Yadav. With these additions, India’s total documented faunal diversity now stands at 105,244 species as of January 1, 2025, accounting for 6.26% of the world’s known faunal species.

Among them, Kerala emerged as the top contributor with 101 discoveries (80 new species and 21 new records), followed by Karnataka (82), Arunachal Pradesh (72), Tamil Nadu (63) and Bengal (56). In contrast, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana and Telangana reported the lowest number of species.

The updated checklist, compiled by a team of more than 185 experts spans 121 taxonomic groups, from protists to mammals. Insects, particularly beetles, moths, flies, and bees, dominate the diversity, while among vertebrates, fish is the most represented group.

Minister Yadav had said that the faunal checklist will prove to be an invaluable reference for taxonomists, researchers, academicians, conservation managers, and policymakers. It comprises 121 checklists of all known taxa covering 36 phyla. Endemic, threatened, and scheduled species have also been included in the list.

The ZSI also celebrated the grand finale of its 110-hour national hackathon. The hackathon, which began on May 22 to honour the International Day for Biodiversity, saw participation from 305 registered teams across the country. It concluded with the Ladakh University team, representing the High Altitude Regional Centre, Solan, winning the first prize.

The ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal’ is the world’s first complete checklist of fauna, making India the first nation to prepare the complete list of fauna documented from a country and positioning itself as a global leader in biodiversity documentation.

The ZSI has been documenting the faunal resources of the country for their effective conservation, management and sustainable utilisation. Every year, it publishes the book, “Animal Discoveries of India — New Species and New Records” which compiles information on newly-discovered species and records from India.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) website states in its India profile that the country is one of the recognized mega-diverse countries of the world, harbouring nearly 7-8% of the recorded species of the world, and representing 4 of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots (Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Sundaland). India is also a vast repository of traditional knowledge associated with biological resources. So far, over 91,200 species of animals and 45,500 species of plants have been documented in the ten biogeographic regions of the country. Inventories of floral and faunal diversities are being progressively updated with several new discoveries through the conduct of continuous surveys and exploration.

The CBD website profile adds that along with species richness, India also possesses high rates of endemism. In terms of endemic vertebrate groups, India’s global ranking is tenth in birds, with 69 species; fifth in reptiles with 156 species; and seventh in amphibians with 110 species. Endemic-rich Indian fauna is manifested most prominently in Amphibia (61.2%) and Reptilia (47%). India is also recognized as one of the eight Vavilovian centres of origin and diversity of crop plants, having more than 300 wild ancestors and close relatives of cultivated plants, which are still evolving under natural conditions.

The CBD profile highlights that India’s varied edaphic, climatic and topographic conditions and years of geological stability have resulted in a wide range of ecosystems and habitats such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Arid and semi-arid regions cover 38.8% of India’s total geographical area. The cold arid zone located in the Trans-Himalayan region covers 5.62% of the country’s area. The region is the stronghold of three cat predators – the lion, leopard and tiger. Of the 140 species of known birds, the Great Indian Bustard is a globally threatened species. The flora of the Indian desert comprises 682 species, with over 6% of the total plant species being endemic. The cold desert is the home of rare and endangered fauna, such as the Asiatic Ibex, Tibetan Argali, Wild Yak, Snow Leopard, and the flora is rich in endemism and economically important species.