My Science School

The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park is a protected area of India consisting of 21 small islands (islets) and adjacent coral reefs in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean. It lies 1 to 10 km away from the east coast of Tamil Nadu, India for 160 km between Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) and Dhanushkodi. It is the core area of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve which includes a 10 km buffer zone around the park, including the populated coastal area. The park has a high diversity of plants and animals in its marine, intertidal and near shore habitats. Public access inside the park is limited to glass-bottom boat rides.

The dugong, a vulnerable marine mammal, is the flagship mammal of the park. It is an important habitat for the cetaceans: Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, finless porpoise, spinner dolphin, common dolphin, Risso's dolphin, melon-headed whale, and dwarf sperm whale. Larger whales include sperm whale, minke whale, Bryde's whale, sei whale, and critically endangered species including humpback whale, fin whale, and blue whale.

The islands are uninhabited except for Krusadai, Musal and Nallathanni islands where antipoaching sheds are operating. Along the coast near the park there are about 125 villages which support about 100,000 people who are mainly Marakeyars, a local community principally engaged in fishing.

 

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Vedanthangal is the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country. Vedanthangal in Tamil language means 'hamlet of the hunter'. This area was a favourite hunting spot of the local landlords in the early 18th century. The region attracted a variety of birds because it was dotted with small lakes that acted as feeding grounds for the birds. Realising its ornithological importance, the British government undertook steps to develop Vedanthangal into a bird sanctuary as early as 1798. This was established in 1858 by the order of the Collector of Chengalpattu.

The Vedanthangal Lake Bird Sanctuary features thousands of birds coming from various countries, some of which can be easily identified. Some easily found birds include cormorants, darters, grebes, large egrets, little egrets, moorhens, night herons, paddy birds, painted storks, pintails, pond herons, sandpipers, shovellers, terns, white ibises and many more. The migratory birds include garganeys and teals from Canada; snake birds and glossy ibises from Sri Lanka; grey pelicans from Australia; grey herons and openbilled stork from Bangladesh; painted storks from Siberia; spoonbills from Burma and the spot-billed duck. It is a good tourist spot.

The Vedanthangal lake is situated 122 m above sea level. It supplies water to 250 acres of agricultural land around the area. The west and south sides of the lake are bordered by a long bund, whereas the northern and eastern sides extend to the agricultural lands. Input of water into this lake is through four small canals. Maximum depth of the lake is 5 metres. The area receives an average annual rainfall of 1400 mm, mostly from the north-east monsoon.

 

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The Western Ghats or Sahyadri is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world. It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain, called Konkan, along the Arabian Sea. A total of thirty nine properties including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests were designated as world heritage sites - twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.

The mountains intercept the rain-bearing westerly monsoon winds, and are consequently an area of high rainfall, particularly on their western side. The dense forests also contribute to the precipitation of the area by acting as a substrate for condensation of moist rising orographic winds from the sea, and releasing much of the moisture back into the air via transpiration, allowing it to later condense and fall again as rain.  The largest city within the mountains is the city of Pune (Poona), in the Desh region on the eastern edge of the range. The Biligirirangan Hills lie at the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats.

There are at least 139 mammal species. Of the 16 endemic mammals, 13 are threatened and amongst the 32 threatened species include the critically endangered Malabar large-spotted civet, the endangered lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, Bengal tiger and Indian elephants, the vulnerable Indian leopard, Nilgiri langur and gaur.

 

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The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the four major rivers of peninsular India, known as the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri.



The Eastern Ghats are older than the Western Ghats, and have a complex geological history related to the assembly and breakup of the ancient supercontinent of Rodinia and the assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent. The Eastern Ghats are made up of charnockites, granite gneiss, khondalites, metamorphic gneisses and quartzite rock formations.



The southern tropical thorn scrub type forests consist of open, low vegetation that is characterised by thorny trees with short trunks and low, branching crowns that rarely meet to form a closed canopy.

The endemic fauna of the Eastern Ghats are Jerdon's courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) and grey slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus). The rare geckos found here are Indian golden gecko (Calodactylodes aureus), rock gecko (Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus), and Sharma's skink Eutropis nagarjuni.

 

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Olive Ridley sea turtles turned up for mass nesting this season, after having stayed away from the Rushikulya river mouth on the Orissa coast for two consecutive years. 

Operation Kachhapa has deployed 10 field assistants to monitor the nesting jointly with Forest Department staff. Steps have been taken to protect the nests from predators like dogs and jackals, and also against theft of eggs by local fishermen for consumption.

There are three mass nesting sites in Orissa State. The first, Gahirmatha, in Kendrapara district, is the world’s largest rookery for Olive Ridley turtles. The second, the Rushikulya river mouth rookery, has seen mass nesting since March 1994, when the phenomenon was first discovered at this site.

Operation Kachhapa, under whose aegis a patrol trawler has been provided to the State Forest Department for patrolling the sea in and around the mouth of the Devi river, is engaged in:

• Building awareness and education by putting up posters, stickers and holding meetings for local fishermen in the coastal villages


• Empowering the local fisherman community in nearly 120 villages by using travelling minstrels and handbills to enlighten them about marine fishing laws, and how their livelihoods are affected by illegal trawling


• Providing information to the media about sea turtle activity throughout the season


• Lobbying the government for protection of the turtles by coast guard patrols and Forest Department patrols


• Monitoring turtle mortality along the beach (two camps are run, one each at the Devi river mouth and the Rushikulya river mouth)


• Monitoring turtle nesting sites outside the Sanctuary


• Providing protection to turtle nests against predators.

 

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Kaziranga National Park of Assam is home to 1,855 adult Indian rhinos and also host one of the highest density of Tigers in India. Kaziranga is a World Heritage Site and hosts two thirds of the world’s great one horned rhinoceroses.

The park also combines high species diversity and recognized as an important bird area. Kaziranga also has significant populations of large herbivores include Elephants, Gaur, Wild water buffalo, 9 primate species, 4 species of wild cats and largest snakes of reticulated python and rock python along with longest venomous King Cobra snake.

Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species. When compared with other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility.

Kaziranga has flat expanses of fertile, alluvial soil, formed by erosion and silt deposition by the River Brahmaputra.[citation needed] The landscape consists of exposed sandbars, riverine flood-formed lakes known as, beels, (which make up 5% of the surface area),[citation needed] and elevated regions known as, chapories, which provide retreats and shelter for animals during floods. Many artificial chapories have been built with the help of the Indian Army to ensure the safety of the animals. Kaziranga is one of the largest tracts of protected land in the sub-Himalayan belt, and due to the presence of highly diverse and visible species, has been described as a "biodiversity hotspot". The park is located in the Indomalayan realm, and the dominant ecoregions of the region are Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, and the frequently-flooded Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome. Kaziranga is also surrounded by lush green tea plantations, most of them contributing heavily to Assam's economy.

 

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Corbett National Park, also called Jim Corbett National Park, natural area in southern Uttarakhand state, northern India. It was established as Hailey National Park in 1936 and was first renamed Ramganga in the mid-1950s, before the name was changed to Corbett later that decade in memory of Jim Corbett, a well-known British sportsman and writer. The park itself occupies an area of 201 square miles (521 square km). It is part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, which includes adjacent protected areas and has a total area of 497 square miles (1,288 square km). It is India’s oldest national park.

The park was established mainly for the protection of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris); it is there that India’s Project Tiger was established in 1973 to provide havens for tigers in the country’s national parks. Among other mammals found in the park are langurs, sloth bears, Asiatic black bears, Indian gray mongooses, jungle cats, elephants, wild boars, chitals (spotted deer), barking deer, and nilgai (Indian antelope). Reptiles and amphibians include a variety of snakes (including cobras and pythons) and species of crocodiles (notably gavials and muggers). At least 600 resident and migrant bird species have been identified, including shikras (Levant sparrowhawks), Indian white-backed vultures, black partridges, golden orioles, red jungle fowl, black-crowned night herons, and peafowl.

The park has roads that facilitate tours of it via jeep or elephant, and there are numerous machans, or observation posts, from which wildlife can be viewed. 

 

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The Himalayan mountain range separates the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. This mighty mountain range lies across six countries in all – Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. They are bordered on the northwest side by the Karakoram Range and Hindu Kush range, on the northern side by the Tibetan Plateau, and on the southern side by the Indo – Gangetic Plain.

The Himalayas are also blessed with an extremely diverse range of flora and fauna. This exceptional natural wealth is a definite lure for botanists and zoologists who have over the years been conducting extensive studies and research on the rare species of flora and fauna found here. More than 600 million people depend on the Himalayas for their livelihood. Some of the major rivers of our nation like the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra have their point of origin amidst the snowy peaks of the Himalayan glaciers. Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists hold several mountains in these ranges as sacred spots and conduct pilgrimages on a regular basis. The Himalayas provide perennial rivers, protect Indian subcontinent from cold Arctic winds, support several exotic wildlife and are revered as our nation’s pride. They are among the best treasures that nature has gifted us.

 

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Birds are not too far behind mammals when it comes to smelly arsenals.

The green wood hoopoe of Africa pointedly lifts its tail at attackers and releases a foul fart smelling of rotten eggs. Its young take it a step further. They let their (liquid) faeces fly at the same time.

The babies of its next-of-kin, the Eurasian hoopoe, can fire-faecal-like fluid bullets to more than 60 cm.

Fulmars are seabirds that eat anything, from fish to rubbish. That gives the yellow vomit their chicks shoot out its distinctive bouquet. Adult fulmars simply spit stomach oil at intruders.

Smelling bad not only earns these birds the respect of their enemies but also keeps their skin and feathers free of pests. A study found 17 anti-microbial compounds in the wood hoopoe’s excreta.

 

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Insects have their very own cornucopia of odours, some of them toxic.

Millipedes secrete a smelly, caustic liquid to make themselves unpalatable. The liquid can burn the skin and eyes. In some species, the liquid contains hydrogen cyanide, a poison that is strong enough to kill a mouse. Lemurs and capuchin monkeys have been observed rubbing millipedes on their skin to get rid of parasites!

The bombardier beetle gets its name from the hot, lethal chemical spray that it shoots out from the tip of its abdomen. The beetle stores two chemicals in separate compartments. When it releases them, they react together, heating up to almost boiling point. The beetle sprays in a rhythmic ‘machine gun’ mode to prevent overheating.

 

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There are some creatures that don’t use smell as active defence but are still malodorous because of the food they eat or the parasites they carry around.

Slow-moving sloths are colonized not only by green algae, but by beetles, moths and mites. These ‘residents’ make the sloth one of the worst-smelling animals on the planet.

Scarab beetles – up to a thousand have been found on a single sloth – live in the fur near their elbows and behind their knees, and the beetle larvae feed on their dung. Three species of mites dwell inside its bottom. Moths crawl around in the fur, feeding on secretions in the skin and the algae.

The hoatzin of the Amazon rainforest is called the stink bird. It gives off the smell of manure because it is the only bird in the world that lives almost exclusively on leaves. The leaves ferment in its stomach, leading to extremely smelly gases.

The sperm whale is another accidental stink bomb. It feeds on giant squid. The squid’s beak can piece the whale’s intestines so it excretes a waxy goo mixed with rotting squid called ‘ambergris’ to protect itself. Ironically the whale’s poop, like the musk deer’s musk, costs the earth because it is used as a base in expensive perfumes!

 

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The most notorious of all stink bombing critters is the skunk. It is a striking black-and-white animal found only in America (the stink badger found in a few Southeast Asian islands is a relative). It can afford to strut about in a natty suit because it has a not-so-secret weapon.

It pays not to get within 2 metres (10 feet) of a skunk. That’s the distance it can spray an incredibly evil-smelling oily liquid from scent glands in its backside right into your face. Skunk spray is full of sulphur-containing chemicals that temporarily blind you and make you choke. The smell is very difficult to get rid of.

Predators avoid skunks like the plague allowing it to go peacefully about its nocturnal foraging even though it stands out like a beacon.

 

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Jumbo bundle of joy

She has the longest pregnancy among mammals – around 22 months. And she also gives birth to the largest baby on land, weighing an average of almost 90 kilos! The female elephant lives for about 60 to 70 years but will only have four offspring during that time.

The baby is born blind and has to rely on its sensitive trunk to find its way about. However, because elephants have a matriarchal society with the oldest female leading the herd, the ‘sisterhood’ lends a hand in caring for the baby. All the females, including grandmothers, sisters, aunts and cousins, help the new mother bring up baby! Young females who are not yet fully mature, are the keenest to mother the calf. They are known as ‘allomothers’.

This kind of babysitting is not only of benefit to the new mothers, who get more time to feed and rest, but it also gives future mothers a chance to practise their skills.

Home sweet home

The orangutan, one of the most intelligent primates in the animal world, spends nearly all its time in the trees. The female orang builds a new nest every night from branches and leaves. She creates more than 30,000 homes during her lifetime! She never puts her babies down and nurses them till they are six or seven years old. She rears them alone. That is the longest dependence of any animal on Earth.

Smelly gift

Koalas, the Australian marsupials that look like cute teddy bears, live exclusively on a diet of eucalyptus leaves. The leaves are toxic, but the koala’s digestive tract is inhabited by bacteria that ingest the poison rendering it harmless.

A koala joey is the size of a jellybean when it is born. Though it has no hair, no ears and is blind, it manages to crawl into its mother’s pouch. The female koala can zip and unzip her pouch using special muscles. The joey remains in the pouch for around six months till it finishes its development. Mother koala feeds it with milk and her own faeces to build up its immunity.

Pass me an arm!

Among marine animals, the female octopus is literally well-armed for the task of mothering! With 50,000 eggs to care for, her hands are full. For 40 days, she stays close to the eggs, protecting them and gently blowing water over them to provide oxygen. She doesn’t get time to feed so she just grabs a bite from her own arms!

Dragon moms

Both alligators and crocodiles dig a hole to lay their 10-50 eggs and build a mound-like nest out of rotting vegetation over it. The nest is like a compost pit, hot enough to incubate the eggs. The temperature determines the gender of the babies – 33 degree C and higher produces males and 28 degree C and lower produces females!

The female stands guard and she can be very aggressive at this time. When the hatchlings are ready to be born, they call out. The mother exposes the nest and gently rolls the eggs in her mouth to crack the shells! After they hatch, she carries them to the water where they start hunting immediately, but stay around her for two years.

Lousy life

The female sea louse is probably the best mom in the world because she sacrifices her life for her children. She’s lured by the male into his burrow where he keeps a harem of 25 or more pregnant females! If that wasn’t bad enough, once the babies are ready to be born, they make their way into the world by eating their mother from the inside out.

 

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