THE RED DATA
BOOK
CONTENTS
1] Mammals:
1. Kondana Rat
2. Malabar Civet
3. Kashmir Stag
4. River Dolphins
2] Arthropods:
5. Rameshwaram Parachute spider
6. Peacock Tarantula
3] fish:
7. Pookode Lake barb
8. Ganges River shark
9. Pondicherry shark
4] amphibians and reptiles:
10. Gharial
11. White-spotted bush frog
12. Toad-skinned frog
Kondana Soft Furred Rat
Kingdom -Animalia
Phylum -Chordata
Subphylum -Vertebrata
Class -Mammalia
Order -Rodentia
Superfamily -Muroidea
Family -Muridae
Genus -Millardia
Species -Millardia kondana
The Kondana soft-furred rat (Millardia kondana), also
known as the Kondana rat or large metad, is an endangered
species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is a nocturnal
burrowing rat that is endemic to the Sinhgad plateau near
Pune, Maharashtra, India. Its natural habitats are
subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry
lowland grassland, and urban areas. Major threats are
habitat loss, overgrazing of vegetation, and disturbance from
tourism and recreational activities.
Malabar Civet
Kingdom -Animalia
Phylum -Chordata
Subphylum -Vertebrata
Class -Mammalia
Order -Carnivora
Family -Viverridae
Subfamily -Viverrinae
Genus -Viverra
Species –Viverra tangalunga
In the 19th century, the Malabar civet occurred throughout the Malabarcoast
from the latitude of Honnavar to Kanyakumari. It inhabited the forests and
richly wooded lowland, and was occasionally found on elevated forest
tracts. It was considered abundant in Travancore.Until the 1960s, extensive
deforestation has reduced most of the natural forests in the entire stretch of
the coastal Western Ghats.[10] By the late 1960s, the Malabar civet was
thought to be near extinction. In 1987, one individual was sighted in Kerala.
In 1987, two skins were obtained near Nilambur in northern Kerala, an area
that is dominated by cashew and rubber plantations. Two more skins were
found in this area in 1990. These plantations probably held most of the
surviving population, as these were little disturbed and provided a dense
understorey of shrubs and grasses. Large-scale clearance for planting rubber
trees threatened this habitat.Interviews conducted in the early 1990s among
local hunters indicated the presence of Malabar civet in protected areas of
Karnataka.During camera trapping surveys in lowland evergreen and semi-
evergreen forests in the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Kerala from April
2006 to March 2007, no photographic record was obtained in a total of
1,084 camera trap nights.
Kashmir stag
Kingdom -Animalia
Phylum -Chordata
Subphylum -Vertebrata
Class -Mammalia
Order -Artiodactyla
Suborder -Ruminantia
Family -Cervidae
Subfamily -Cervinae
Genus -Cervus
Species -Cervus canadensis hanglu
The Kashmir stag (Cervus hanglu hanglu ), also called hangul, is a
subspecies of Central Asian red deer endemic to Kashmir and
surrounding areas. It is found in dense riverine forests in the high
valleys and mountains of Jammu and Kashmir and northern
Himachal Pradesh. In Kashmir, it is found primarily in the Dachigam
National Park where it receives protection, and elsewhere it is more at
risk. In the 1941s, the population was between 3000 and 5000
individuals, but since then habitat destruction, over-grazing by domestic
livestock and poaching have reduced population dramatically. Earlier
believed to be a subspecies of red deer (Cervus elaphus ), a number of
mitochondrial DNA genetic studies later had the hangul as a part of the
Asian clade of the elk (Cervus canadensis ). The IUCN and American
Society of Mammologists, however, includes it in the new grouping of
Central Asian red deer (Cervus hanglu ), with the Kashmir stag being
the type subspecies (Cervus hanglu hanglu ). According to the census in
2019, there were only 237 hanguls.
Ganges river dolphins
Kingdom -Animalia
Phylum -Chordata
Subphylum -Vertebrata
Class -Mammalia
Order -Artiodactyla
Infraorder -Cetacea
Family -Platanistidae
Genus -Platanista
SPECIES -Platanista
he Ganges river dolphin
gangetica split from the Indus river dolphin during the Pleistocene, around 550,000
years ago. The earliest fossil identified as belonging to the species is only 12,000 years old.The
[1]
Ganges river dolphin was formally classified as Delphinus gangeticus two separate times in 1801, by
Heinrich Julius Lebeck[11] and William Roxburgh. They both likely used the type specimen, caught
near Calcutta in late 1797 and sent to the Hunterian Museum in London. It may have been
destroyed during World War II, but castings were previously made of the rostrum and parts of the
lower jaw, which survive at the Natural History Museum.[12] Whether Lebeck or Roxburgh should be
given credit has been debated over the centuries, but research by Kinze (2000) found that Lebeck's
description was published on the 24 August while Roxburgh's was likely published no earlier than
September, thus giving Lebeck the priority. Elisha Gray coined the species name Platanista
gangetica in 1835.This species and the Indus river dolphin, were initially classified as a single
species, Platanista gangetica, but in the 1970s both were split into distinct species. However, in the
1990s, both species were again grouped as a single species. However, more recent studies of genes,
divergence time, and skull structure support both being distinct species.The species has multiple
common names throughout its range. It is known as susu as a popular name; soons, soans, or soos
in Hindi; shushuk in Bengali; hiho or hihu in Assamese; bhagirath (as a reference to the
character of the same name from Hindu mythology); and shus or suongsu in Nepali. Its Sanskrit
name in medieval times was likely shishumar, and during the Mughal era, it was known as pani
Rameswaram Parachute spider
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Subphylum - Chelicerata
Class - Arachnida
Order - Araneae
Infraorder - Mygalomorphae
Family - Theraphosidae
Genus - Poecilotheria
P. hanumavilasumic
Species - a
It was discovered in 2004 by Andrew Smith from a sacred grove of the
Hanumavilasum Temple in Rameshwaram.It was initially thought to
be endemic to the Ramanathapuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu
, India, but has since been identified outside India in the
Mannar District of Northern Sri Lanka. The close proximity of
Mannar island to India suggests that the species may have dispersed
over the land bridge between the two countries in the Pleistocene
epoch.
Peacock Tarantula
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Arthropoda
Subphylum
Chelicerata
-
Class - Arachnida
Order - Araneae
Mygalomorpha
Infraorder- e
Family - Theraphosidae
Genus - Poecilotheria
Species - P. metallica
Poecilotheria metallica is found only in a small area of less than 100 square kilometres
(39 sq mi), a reserve forest that is nonetheless highly disturbed. Surveys of adjacent forest
have failed to observe this species. The type specimen was discovered in a railway timber
yard in Gooty about 100 km southwest of its known range, but it is believed to have been
transported there by train. Poecilotheria Metallica's behaviour parallels that of many arboreal
spiders. In the wild, P. metallica lives in holes of tall trees where it makes asymmetric funnel
webs. The primary prey consists of various flying insects. Spiders of this genus may live
communally when territory, i.e. the number of holes per tree, is limited. The species is skittish
and will try to flee first, and will also flee when light shines upon it, as it is a photosensitive
species. Under provocation, however, members of the species may bite.
Pookode
Kingdom:
River Barb
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Barbinae
Genus: Pethia
Species: P. pookodensis
untius pookodensis is endemic to the Pookode Lake, Wayanad, northern
Kerala,, which is a part of Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hot
spot. One hundred and twelve specimens collected from the Pookode
Lake during 2007 were used to study the reproductive biology of the
species. Six maturity stages could be identified in the females, based on
external morphology and ova diameter distribution, examinded
microscopically. Size at first maturity was 32.5 mm TL (30-35 mm) in
male and 38.5 mm TL (35-40 mm) in female. Ovary showed
asynchronous development. Oogenesis was studied using the standard
histological procedures. The oocyte development was classified into
nine different oogenic stages. P. pookodensis was found to be a multiple
spawner with protracted spawning. Absolute fecundity ranged from 426-
823 in fishes of size range 35-57 mm TL and 0.555 -2.267 g body
weight. The number and size of eggs were found to be directly
proportional to the size and age of the fish, with fecundity showing
positive linear relationship with the length and weight of the fish as well
as ovary weight.
Ganges River Shark
Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Chondrichthyes
Superorder - Selachimorpha
Carcharhiniforme
Order - s
Family - Carcharhinidae
Genus - Glyphis
Species - G. gangeticus
he Ganges shark (Glyphis gangeticus) is a critically endangered
species of requiem shark found in the Ganges River (Padma River) and
the Brahmaputra River of Bangladesh and India. It is often confused
with the more common bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), which also
inhabits the Ganges River and is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the
Ganges shark.[3] The genus is currently considered to contain three
recent species; genetic evidence has shown that both the Borneo river
shark (G. fowlerae) and Irrawaddy river shark (G. siamensis) should be
regarded as synonyms of the Ganges shark, expanding the range of the
species to Pakistan, Myanmar, Borneo, and Java. While the other
members of the genus Glyphis occur in coastal marine waters as well as
rivers, the Ganges shark is found only in fresh water, making it the
world's only exclusively freshwater shark. The species remains poorly
known and very rare.
Pondicherry Shark
Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class - Chondrichthyes
Superorder - Selachimorpha
Carcharhiniforme
Order - s
Family - Carcharhinidae
Genus - Carcharhinus
Species - C. hemiodon
The Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon) is an extremely rare
species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae. A small and
stocky gray shark, it grows not much longer than 1 m (3.3 ft) and has a
fairly long, pointed snout. This species can be identified by the shape of
its upper teeth, which are strongly serrated near the base and smooth-
edged near the tip, and by its first dorsal fin, which is large with a long
free rear tip. Furthermore, this shark has prominent black tips on its
pectoral fins, second dorsal fin, and caudal fin lower lobe.
The Pondicherry shark is critically endangered. It was once found
throughout Indo-Pacific coastal waters from the Gulf of Oman to
New Guinea, and is known to enter fresh water. Fewer than 20
specimens are available for study, and most aspects of its natural history
are unknown. It probably feeds on bony fishes, cephalopods, and
crustaceans, and gives birth to live young with the embryos forming a
placental connection to their mother.
Gharial
Kingdom
Animalia
-
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Reptilia
Order - Crocodilia
Family: - Gavialidae
Genus - Gavialis
Species - G. gangeticus
The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also known as gavial or fish-eating
crocodile, is a crocodilian in the family Gavialidae and among the
longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are 2.6–4.5 m (8 ft
6 in – 14 ft 9 in) long, and males 3–6 m (9 ft 10 in – 19 ft 8 in). Adult
males have a distinct boss at the end of the snout, which resembles an
earthenware pot known as a ghara, hence the name "gharial". The
gharial is well adapted to catching fish because of its long, narrow snout
and 110 sharp, interlocking teeth.
The gharial probably evolved in the northern Indian subcontinent. Fossil
gharial remains were excavated in Pliocene deposits in the Sivalik Hills
and the Narmada River valley. It currently inhabits rivers in the plains of
the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is the most thoroughly
aquatic crocodilian, and leaves the water only for basking and building
nests on moist sandbanks. Adults mate at the end of the cold season
White Spotted Bush Frog
Kingdom
Animalia
-
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Amphibia
Order - Anura
Family - Rhacophoridae
Genus - Raorchestes
Species - R. chalazodes
Raorchestes chalazodes (Chalazodes bubble-nest frog, white-spotted
bush frog, or Günther's bush frog) is a species of critically endangered
frog in the family Rhacophoridae. Raorchestes chalazodes is a nocturnal
and arboreal species found in the understorey of tropical moist
evergreen forest and is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.The
specific name chalazodes is composed of the Greek word χάλαζα
(chalaza) meaning "lump" and -odes for the derived adjective, reflecting
white granulation of the body.The original holotype was collected in
1876 by Colonel Richard Henry Beddome in Travancore and given to
Albert C. L. G. Günther. Before its rediscovery in 2011 in the Upper
Kodayar Region in Tamil Nadu, the species was thought to be extinct.
Toad Skinned Frog
Kingdom
Animalia
-
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Amphibia
Order - Anura
Family - Ranixalidae
Genus - Walkerana
W. phrynoderm
Species -
a
Walkerana phrynoderma is a species of frog endemic to the
Anaimalai Hills, of the Western Ghats of Kerala and Tamil nadu states in
southern India. This species is known from Munnar,
Eravikulam National Park, Valparai tea gardens,
Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Grass Hills National Park and Palni hills.It is a
very rare terrestrial frog species associated with leaf-litter in tropical
moist forest. It is threatened by habitat loss caused by subsistence wood
collecting.[1] It has the status of one of the "Top 100 Evolutionarily
Distinct and Globally Endangered Amphibians".
