India added 467 new species and 197 new records to its faunal database in 2022.
The discoveries include three new mammal species and one new record, two new bird records, 30 new reptile species and two new records, six new amphibian species and one new record, and 28 new fish species and eight new records.
Notable mammal discoveries include two bat species, Miniopterus phillipsi (a long-fingered bat) and Glischropus meghalayanus(a bamboo-dwelling bat), both from Meghalaya, and the Sela macaque (Macaca selai) found in Arunachal Pradesh, named after the Sela Pass
Glischropus meghalayanus
Sela macaque
The new records include Macaca leucogenys, a white-cheeked macaque sighted in West Siang, Arunachal Pradesh, and Ficedula zanthopygia, the yellow-rumped flycatcher found in Narcondam Island of the Andaman archipelago.
Invertebrates account for the majority of new faunal discoveries with 583 species, while vertebrates make up 81 species.
Insects dominate among invertebrates with 384 species, and fish dominate among vertebrates.
Kerala recorded the highest number of new discoveries, with 82 animal species new to science and 15 new records.
Macaca leucogenys
Ficedula zanthopygia
41
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu followed with 64 and 71 new discoveries, respectively.
With the new discoveries and records, the fauna diversity of the country increased to 103,922 species.
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