Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a checklist of India’s fauna covering 1,04,561 species on the occasion of the 109th Foundation Day of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

• India has become the first country in the world to prepare a checklist of its entire fauna.

India adds 641 new animal species, 339 new plant taxa in 2023

The Union Environment Minister also released a publication of ZSI, ‘Animal Discoveries – 2023’ comprising 641 new animal species and ‘Plant Discoveries – 2023’ of Botanical Survey of India with 339 plant species.

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Crucial Insights on the Released Documents 

Following are the significant data from the recently released documents:

• Fauna of India Checklist Portal: It is the first comprehensive document on the faunal species reported from India. 
  • Comprises: 121 checklists of all known taxa covering 36 phyla. 
  • Endemic, threatened, and scheduled species have been included in the list.
    • Endemic species are found only in some particular areas, usually isolated by natural or even geographical barriers. Example: Asiatic lion
    • Threatened Species are vulnerable to endangerment shortly. Example: Bengal tigers
    • Scheduled Species are completely protected from hunting, and trade and commerce.
• Fauna Species: 641 new species added to Indian fauna in 2023, including 442 entirely new species and 199 species which have been newly recorded in the country. 
  • Example: Capra himalayensis, proves that the Himalayan Ibex, distributed in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex. 
    • Miniopterus srinii, a new species of bent-winged bat, was found in Karnataka.
  • Trend for Fauna Species: The vast majority of these new discoveries have been recorded in the invertebrate category and only from vertebrate species, the majority were fish species.
    • The trend of new discoveries in different groups remains the same as previous years, with Insects dominating among invertebrates, whereas Fishes dominated among vertebrates followed by Reptiles, Amphibia, Mammals and least with Aves.
• Flora Species: India also added 339 taxa to its plant database, including 326 species, and 13 infraspecific taxa. 
  • Of these, 171 taxa are new to science and 168 taxa are new distributional records from India. 
    • Taxa: It can refer to a sub-species or variety of a plant species.
  • Example: Curcuma kakchingense, a new species of turmeric found in Manipur’s Kakching, and Asystasia venui, a flowering plant discovered in the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden at Howrah in West Bengal.
  • Plant Discoveries 2023: It is an annual publication by the Botanical Survey of India, according to it, there are 106 angiosperms, 2 Pteridophytes, 16 Bryophytes, 44 lichens, 111 fungi, 50 algae and 10 microbes. 
    • The hotspot regions such as Western Ghats, and North Eastern Regions have contributed 14% of total discoveries.
• States on the Top: 
  • New Fauna: Most of the new animal discoveries were reported from southern India. Kerala topped the list, with 101 additions, followed by West Bengal with 72 new species, and Tamil Nadu with 64.
  • New Wild Plants: West Bengal recorded the highest number of new plant discoveries, with 52 new taxa, followed by Kerala and Uttarakhand. 

Significance of Fauna of India Checklist Portal

The comprehensive fauna checklist is important for several reasons: 

• Conservation and Protection: By documenting all known animal species in India, this list provides a baseline to track changes in biodiversity and identify threatened or endangered species that require targeted conservation efforts. 
• Scientific Research: The detailed inventory of India’s fauna will serve as an invaluable resource for scientists, researchers, and policymakers to better understand the country’s rich ecological diversity and make informed decisions about sustainable management of natural resources. 
• International Leadership: As India is the first country in the world to prepare such a comprehensive national-level checklist of its entire fauna, it positions India as a global leader in biodiversity documentation and conservation, setting an example for other countries to follow. 
• Informing Policy and Planning: It will help the government develop more effective policies and programs for wildlife protection, habitat preservation, and environmental management across India. 
  • It will serve as an invaluable reference for taxonomists, researchers, academicians, conservation managers, and policymakers. 

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