Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Scientists discovered a new catfish species named Pseudecheneis likimroensis in Nagaland. The species is named after the Likimro River in Kiphire district, where it was first found. The discovery was published in the Journal of Ichthyology. The fish has special adaptations to survive in fast-flowing mountain streams. Nagaland is a freshwater biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya and Indo-Myanmar region.

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed a 10-km mining buffer zone around all Wetland Conservation Reserves in India. The order extends the buffer first applied to the Asan Conservation Reserve in Uttarakhand to similar protected wetlands across the country. Asan Conservation Reserve is the first Ramsar Site of Uttarakhand. It covers 444.4 hectares in Dehradun, at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna rivers. The reserve lies on the Central Asian Flyway, an important route for migratory birds. It supports 330 bird species, including several globally threatened species.

Notes:
A crocodile attack in the Vishwamitri River near Talsat village, Vadodara, Gujarat, resulted in the death of a man. Vishwamitri River is a small, non-perennial river originating from the western and southern slopes of the Pavagadh Hills in eastern Gujarat. The river flows westward through Vadodara, joins tributaries Dhadar and Jambuva, and drains into the Arabian Sea via the Gulf of Khambhat. It hosts the protected mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris).

Notes:
A rare Spoon-tailed Duskhawker dragonfly (Gynacantha basiguttata) has been spotted for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh. The dragonfly was photographed in October 2024 along the Miao–Vijaynagar Road in the Namdapha landscape. It was initially misidentified, but later taxonomic verification confirmed it as Gynacantha basiguttata. The record adds a new species entry to Arunachal Pradesh’s biodiversity records and India’s Odonata checklist. Odonata is the insect order comprising dragonflies and damselflies. The discovery highlights the rich and still under-documented biodiversity of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Changlang district.

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A new wild cat species named Tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo) has been identified in Bolivia. It was discovered in the Yungas cloud forests, a mountainous and humid forest region of Bolivia. Tilcayo belongs to the tiger cat group, which is found across parts of South America. It is a small wild cat, measuring about 46 cm and weighing around 1.4 kg. Genetic analysis suggests that its lineage separated from other tiger cats around 1.4 million years ago. The species was formally identified after genetic and scientific analysis. It is significant because it is reported as the first living cat species formally named and described in more than 100 years.

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Maharashtra has shifted a young tigress from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal district. The tigress, identified as T163-SAF2, is the third tiger added to the population being established in Painganga. The sanctuary is located in the Painganga River landscape, Maharashtra, which forms an important ecological zone in the region. It contains dry deciduous forests, providing suitable habitat for wildlife including tigers and other carnivores. The sanctuary is part of

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary during the 138th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, highlighting the return of elephants to the area. Elephants had earlier moved away due to human interference and encroachment in the forest. Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Sonitpur district of Assam, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The sanctuary covers an area of about 220 sq km and was officially notified as a wildlife sanctuary on 4 September 1998. It is an important habitat for Asian elephants and other wildlife of the Himalayan foothill ecosystem.

Notes:
The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), India’s national bird, has been officially recorded for the first time in Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve. Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in Assam, on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River. The area is mainly characterised by grasslands, wetlands and riverine forests, making it an important habitat for wildlife. It was given Tiger Reserve status in 2016.

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The Galaxy Frog (Melanobatrachus indicus) recently came into the spotlight after Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu’s Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, shared new images of the species. It is a rare amphibian found in the southern Western Ghats of India. It is endemic to the southern Western Ghats, with records mainly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It generally inhabits wet evergreen and other moist forests at elevations of around 1,000–1,500 metres. The species was first described in 1878 from the Anamalai Hills of Tamil Nadu and was rediscovered in 1997. The IUCN classifies the Galaxy Frog as Vulnerable.

Notes:
Scientists from the University of Sydney identified two new species of giant stick insects named Anchiale robusta and Anchiale mabiensis in Australia. The research focused on the stick insect genus Anchiale. A species that had been misidentified for decades was also recognised as a separate species, Anchiale robusta. Another newly described species is Anchiale mabiensis, found in the Mabi rainforest of Queensland’s Atherton Tablelands. Australia has around 130 known stick insect species, while about 3,609 species are known worldwide. The findings could help in forestry and agriculture, as some stick insects can reach very high populations and damage trees by feeding on leaves.