Context:
India’s rich biodiversity continues to grow with the addition of hundreds of new species and records. In 2024, the country documented 683 new faunal taxa and 433 taxa of flora, underscoring the importance of continuous exploration and conservation efforts. The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, shared these findings recently.
Key Highlights of Faunal Discoveries
Among the 683 faunal taxa, 459 were new species, while 224 were new records for India. Kerala emerged as the state with the highest number of new animal discoveries, contributing 101 taxa (80 new species and 21 new records). Other significant contributors included:
- Karnataka – 82 taxa (68 new species, 14 new records)
- Tamil Nadu – 63 taxa (50 new species, 13 new records)
- Arunachal Pradesh – 72 taxa (42 new species, 30 new records)
- Meghalaya – 42 taxa (25 new species, 17 new records)
- West Bengal – 56 taxa (25 new species, 31 new records)
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands – 43 taxa (14 new species, 29 new records)
These discoveries highlight the biological richness of the Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas, and island ecosystems.
Among significant faunal findings were two new genera and 37 species of reptiles. Notably, Dravidoseps gouensis, belonging to a new genus, was described, along with Anguiculus dicaprioi, a new species of snake named in honor of actor Leonardo DiCaprio. Researchers also identified five new species of amphibians, adding to India’s diverse herpetofauna.
Notable Floral Discoveries
In 2024, scientists described 410 new species and 23 infra-specific taxa of plants, totaling 433 discoveries. Kerala again led with 58 new floral taxa, followed by Maharashtra (45) and Uttarakhand (40).
The 433 plant discoveries included:
- 154 Angiosperms (flowering plants)
- 4 Pteridophytes (ferns and their allies)
- 15 Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts)
- 63 Lichens
- 156 Fungi
- 32 Algae
- 9 Microbes
These findings underline the ecological importance of the Western Ghats and Northeastern India, which together contributed 35% of all new plant discoveries.
Among the significant botanical discoveries were rare and ecologically important orchids such as:
- Bulbophyllum gopalianum
- Coelogyne tripurensis
- Gastrodia indica
- Gastrodia sikkimensis
These species are expected to be of interest for conservation and further research due to their restricted habitats and ecological sensitivity.
Conclusion
With these additions, India has now documented 56,177 plant species, including angiosperms, gymnosperms, pteridophytes, bryophytes, lichens, fungi, and algae. The consistent discoveries reflect India’s status as a mega-diverse country and highlight the importance of scientific surveys by agencies such as the Zoological Survey of India and the Botanical Survey of India.
These findings also underscore the urgent need to protect fragile ecosystems threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and human pressures. As new species continue to be described, they open opportunities for ecological research, bioprospecting, and conservation planning.
