Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution

The current distribution of C. diplogramma and C. micropeltes is best explained by vicariance. The significant variation in the key taxonomic characters and the results of the molecular marker analysis points towards an allopatric speciation event or vicariant divergence from a common ancestor, which molecular data suggests to have occurred as early as 21.76 million years ago. The resurrection of C. diplogramma from the synonymy of C. micropeltes has hence been confirmed 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised, establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India and prioritizing its conservation value

The status of the world's land and marine mammals: diversity, threat, and knowledge

Knowledge of mammalian diversity is still surprisingly disparate, both regionally and taxonomically. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment of the conservation status and distribution of the world's mammals. Data, compiled by 1700+ experts, cover all 5487 species, including marine mammals. Global macroecological patterns are very different for land and marine species but suggest common mechanisms driving diversity and endemism across systems. Compared with land species, threat levels are higher among marine mammals, driven by different processes (accidental mortality and pollution, rather than habitat loss), and are spatially distinct (peaking in northern oceans, rather than in Southeast Asia). Marine mammals are also disproportionately poorly known. These data are made freely available to support further scientific developments and conservation action

Non-volant small mammals of the Western Ghats of Coorg District, southern India

A study to understand diversity and changes in non-volant small mammal composition in the Western Ghats of Coorg District, Karnataka was conducted from April 2004 to April 2008. A total of 11060 trap nights of sampling in various habitats such as forest fragments, coffee and cardamom plantations, open areas including grasslands, agricultural fields including paddy and ginger cultivations, bamboo and in and around human habitations across the two vegetation zones of the district. Totally, 14 species of non-volant small mammals were trapped as 412 unique individuals contributing to an overall trap success of 3.8%. Rattus wroughtoni was the most commonly caught taxon followed by Suncus murinus and S. niger although S. murinus was trapped in 10 habitats followed by Mus musculus in 9 of 11 habitats. The abundance of small mammals was the highest in bamboo (12.1%) and in forest fragments (7.2%); the plantations supported very low abundances (< 3.1%). Endemic mammals such as Rattus satarae, Vandeleuria nilagirica, Platacanthomys lasiurus, Funambulus tristriatus and Suncus niger were recorded in Coorg although P. lasiurus and V. nilagirica were trapped in only one habitat each. Changes in land use and rapid decline in quality of habitat is pushing the endemics into local extinctions while non-endemic commensals are displacing restricted endemics in disturbed habitats. This study underlines the need for more in-depth rapid assessments in the Western Ghats for the poorly understood small mammals and the initiation of conservation programmes for endemics

The Striated Parachute Spider <i>Poecilotheria striata</i> Pocock, 1895 (Araneae: Theraphosidae): a note on taxonomy, distribution and conservation status

The known distribution range of Poecilotheria striata Pocock, 1895 in India is from Mysuru in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south. During the recent surveys in northern Karnataka, P. striata was recorded from six locations in Dandeli and nearby areas in the Uttara Kannada District. With the new records from Uttara Kannada, the distribution range of this species extends to the northern part of the Western Ghats by ca. 400km from Mysuru. Additional records on distribution of P. striata are also provided from various surveys carried out in the last 10 years. Based on these new records, the IUCN Red List status of P. striata is recommended to be reassessed as Near Threatened. Additional information on the morphology and natural history of P. striata is provided in the paper

Redescription, distribution and status of the Karwar Large Burrowing Spider <i>Thrigmopoeus truculent us</i> Pocock, 1899 (Araneae: Theraphosidae), a Western Ghats endemic ground mygalomorph

The genus Thrigmopoeus is endemic to the Western Ghats of India, and is so far represented by two species: Thrigmopoeus truculentus Pocock, 1899 and T. insignis Pocock, 1899. The distribution of T. truculentus was considered to be restricted to its type locality until a few populations were identified in other places. In this paper we provide detail morphometry and characters used in modern-day taxonomy to redescribe the female of T. truculentus, with additional notes on its distribution, range extension, burrow and habitat

Transfer of two Indian Idiops spp. to the genus <i>Heligmomerus Simon</i>, 1892 (Araneae: Idiopidae) with redescription of <i>H. barkudensis</i> (Gravely, 1921)

The genus Heligmomerus Simon, 1892 of the trapdoor spider family Idiopidae is represented by a single species, H. prostans Simon, 1892 in India. Idiops biharicus Gravely, 1915 and I. barkudensis Gravely, 1921 were found to be misplaced in the genus Idiops and transfer to the genus Heligmomerus based on a dorsal saddle-shape depression on tibiae III. The Heligmomerus barkudensis (Gravely, 1921) was previously known only from the type locality but during the recent surveys in Orissa it was sampled from several locations on the mainland in Orissa as well as other islands of Chilika Lake. H. barkudensis is redescribed and natural history notes are provided based on the new specimen collections from the type locality, Barkuda Island and other new localities in Orissa