Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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A rare melanistic (black-coloured) spotted deer (chital) was recently sighted at the Umred Pauni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary near Nagpur. The sanctuary is located across Pauni tehsil in Bhandara district and Umred, Kuhi, and Bhivapur talukas of Nagpur district in Maharashtra. It is bounded along the northeast by the Wainganga River and the Gose Khurd Dam. The forest corridor along the Wainganga River connects this sanctuary with the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, aiding wildlife movement and ecological connectivity.

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature has reclassified the Southern Elephant Seal from Least Concern to Vulnerable on its Red List. It is the largest seal species and among the biggest mammals after whales. It is known as the deepest-diving seal, often diving 300–800 m for approx 30 minutes. It is found in circumpolar regions of the Southern Ocean, including Antarctica and southern parts of Africa, South America, and Australia.

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A new species of bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus raimonaensis, has been discovered in Assam near Raimona National Park. It belongs to the genus Cyrtodactylus (one of the largest groups of geckos globally with high species diversity). The species is named after Raimona National Park located in Kokrajhar district of Assam. It has a moderate body size with a maximum snout-vent length (distance from snout to cloaca in reptiles) of about 71.1 millimetres (mm). It shows rounded, bluntly conical and weakly keeled dorsal tubercles (small bony projections on the skin).

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The Painted Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis pictus) is a rare, colourful terrestrial reptile recently spotted in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. It belongs to the genus Eublepharis under the family Eublepharidae, distributed across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The species was scientifically described in 2022 from the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The Brahmani River acts as a geographical barrier separating it from the East Indian Leopard Gecko. It prefers dry evergreen forests with scrub and meadow habitats.

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Researchers recently discovered a new bent-toed gecko species, Cyrtodactylus jayadityai, in Tripura, highlighting Northeast India’s rich biodiversity. The species inhabits lowland forest patches, emphasizing the ecological value of these habitats. It is genetically distinct, showing about 4.7–5.2 percent divergence from its closest relative, Cyrtodactylus tripuraensis, based on mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) analysis. The gecko is nocturnal, becoming active at night for foraging and hiding in burrows during the day. With this discovery, the total number of Cyrtodactylus species in Northeast India has increased to 31.

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Scientists discovered two new jumping spider species—Mogrus shushka and Mogrus pune—belonging to the genus Mogrus, found in arid and urban ecosystems. Mogrus shushka was identified in Desert National Park, adapted to extreme heat, low humidity, and sandy terrain of the Thar Desert. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word “shushka,” meaning dry, reflecting its habitat conditions. Mogrus pune was discovered in Alfa Laval Biodiversity Park and named after Pune city. These spiders belong to jumping spiders (family Salticidae), known for keen vision and agile hunting. The discovery highlights India’s biodiversity richness across both desert ecosystems and urban green spaces.

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The government of Meghalaya has decided to exclude Lumpongdeng Island located in Umiam Lake from the proposed luxury resort project after protests by local communities and stakeholders. The Umiam Lake, also known as Barapani Lake, is a man-made reservoir located about 15 km north of Shillong and surrounded by the East Khasi Hills. The lake is formed by a dam built across the Umiam River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, with a capacity to generate about 60 MW of electricity.

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Scientists discovered new fossils of an ancient platypus species in South Australia showing it had teeth, unlike modern platypuses. The Platypus is a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia. It belongs to a rare group of mammals called monotremes (egg-laying mammals). It inhabits freshwater systems ranging from tropical Queensland to Tasmania and the Australian Alps. It spends much of its time in burrows along riverbanks. Its conservation status is Near Threatened (IUCN).

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Researchers have recorded Lutjanus arakan, a rare species of snapper fish, in Indian waters for the first time at Gopalpur-on-Sea in the Ganjam district of Odisha. Lutjanus arakan belongs to the Lutjanidae family, a group of marine fishes commonly known as snappers that are mainly found in tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Snapper fishes are ecologically important because they act as mid-level predators in reef and coastal ecosystems, helping maintain marine ecological balance. The species was earlier recorded only along the coast of Bangladesh, making this discovery significant for Indian marine biodiversity and fish taxonomy studies.

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Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Wayanad district of Kerala and recently gained attention after a wild gaur was captured and released there by the Forest Department team. It forms part of the larger Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Tholpetty is one of the two separated sections of Wayanad Sanctuary, while Muthanga forms the southern section. The sanctuary mainly contains tropical moist dry deciduous and semi-evergreen forests