Nature still holds many secrets, and India just unlocked a few more. In a year marked by biodiversity gains, the country added hundreds of new species to its flora and fauna list. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav shared the figures at an event in Kolkata on Monday.
Over 1,100 New Discoveries in One Year
India documented 683 new faunal species and 433 plant taxa in 2024. Among the faunal finds were 459 new species and 224 new records, while flora included 410 new species and 23 infra-specific taxa. These discoveries were compiled in the annual publications Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries, issued by ZSI and BSI.
Kerala topped the faunal chart with 101 species, followed by Karnataka with 82 and Tamil Nadu with 63. In the northeast, Arunachal Pradesh saw 72 new finds, while Meghalaya had 42 and West Bengal recorded 56. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, too, contributed 43, reinforcing their ecological value.
New Plants Found Across Indian Landscapes
Kerala again led in plant discoveries with 58 taxa, followed by Maharashtra at 45 and Uttarakhand with 40. The year’s botanical discoveries featured 154 angiosperms, 15 bryophytes, 63 lichens, and 156 fungi. Regions like the Western Ghats and Northeast contributed nearly 35 percent of these finds.
BSI Director Pratibha Gupta highlighted the significance of newly found wild relatives of orchids, legumes, balsams, and zingibers. These species hold promise for agriculture, medicine, and ornamental use.
Richer Biodiversity, Stronger Conservation Goals
ZSI Director Dhriti Banerjee said the findings reveal India’s rich natural heritage and underline the need for focused research and taxonomy. She added that India, despite occupying only 2.4% of the Earth's surface, holds around 8% of recorded global biodiversity.
The 2024 faunal discoveries included two new reptile genera and 37 new reptile species. One notable find was Dravidoseps gouensis, from a newly identified genus. Another, Anguiculus dicaprioi, was named in honour of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
India’s faunal list now totals 105,244 species and subspecies, spanning from tiny protists to large mammals. Its flora, meanwhile, includes 56,177 recorded species and taxa.
As scientists uncover more life forms, each discovery offers not only ecological insight but also new reasons to protect the country’s fragile ecosystems.
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