Rare Gynandromorph Crab Found in Silent Valley National Park, Western Ghats

A tiny crab displaying both male and female biological traits (gynandromorphy) on the same body has been discovered in the Silent Valley National Park in the Western Ghats.

• Discovered from the forests of the Silent Valley National Park, this freshwater crab belongs to the species Vela carli and is both male and female at the same time. 
• The study was conducted by researchers from the MES Mampad College and the Zoological Survey of India.
  • Their findings were published in the international journal Crustaceana.
  • The study reports the first instance of gynandromorphy in the freshwater crab family Gecarcinucidae.
  • The phenomenon is rare in crustaceans and previously undocumented in this family.

About Vela carli

• Vela carli is an endemic freshwater crab found only in the forests and streams of the Central Western Ghats. 
• Habitat and Ecological Significance
  • The crabs were found inside tree holes, despite usually inhabiting streams and forest floors.
  • This highlights the ecological importance of microhabitats like tree holes and the biodiversity richness of forest ecosystems.

About Gynandromorphy

• Gynandromorphy is a rare biological condition where an organism exhibits both male and female characteristics.
• In this case, crabs showed male reproductive structures along with female features such as gonopores.

About Silent Valley National Park

• Location:  Silent Valley National Park is located along the south-western edge of the Nilgiris in the Palakkad district of Kerala.
• The park forms the core of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
• The park is nourished by the Kunthipuzha River, which is one of its major ecological lifelines.
• Vegetation:
  • West Coast tropical evergreen forest
  • Southern subtropical broad-leaved hill forest
  • Montane wet temperate forest
  • Grasslands
• Flora: The park is known for plants of high medicinal value and the presence of towering Cullenia trees.
• Fauna: Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Malabar giant squirrel, Indian elephant, tiger, leopard, and gaur (Indian bison).

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