Monday 30 June 2014

Lophura nycthemera (Silver Pheasant) - Sikkim Bird

Lophura nycthemera (Silver Pheasant)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park,  Gangtok,  East Sikkim
Date: October 10, 2009
Pic: Shital Pradhan

Lophura nycthemera (Silver Pheasant)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park,  Gangtok,  East Sikkim
Date: October 10, 2009
Pic: Shital Pradhan




Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Chordata
Class:              Aves
Order:             Galliformes
Family:           Phasianidae
Subfamily:     Phasianinae
Genus:            Lophura
Species:           L. nycthemera

Binomial name: Lophura nycthemera (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other Names:  silver pheasant,

Special feature: The male is black and white, while the female is mainly brown. Both sexes have a bare red face and red legs (Source: Wikipedia)

Sunday 29 June 2014

Tragopan satyra (Satyr tragopan) - Sikkim Bird

Tragopan satyra (Satyr tragopan)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park,  Gangtok,  East Sikkim
Date: June 28, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan



Scientific classification
Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Chordata
Class:              Aves
Order:            Galliformes
Family:           Phasianidae
Subfamily:     Phasianinae
Genus:            Tragopan satyra
Species:           T. satyra
Binomial name: Tragopan satyra (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other Names:  crimson horned pheasant, satyr tragopan

Special feature: It falls under Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)

Females are brown. Males are usually red with blue, black, and white spots and freckles. (Source: Wikipedia)

Xystrocera globosa (Monkey-pod Borer) - Sikkim Beetle

Xystrocera globosa (Monkey-pod Borer)

Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim,
Date:June 28,  2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan


Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Arthropoda
Class:              Insecta
Order:             Coleoptera
Sub-Order      Polyphaga
Family:           Cerambycidae
Genus:            Xystrocera
Species:           X. globosa

Binomial name:  Xystrocera globosa Olivier, 1795

Other Names:   Monkey-pod Borer, Rain-tree Borer

Special feature: It is a native of East Africa. (Cook Islands Biodiversity Database)

 Xystrocera globosa is a beetle species from the family longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae).

Saturday 28 June 2014

Paguma larvata ( Masked palm civet) - Sikkim Mammal

Paguma larvata ( Masked palm civet)
Venue: Himalayan Zoological Park,  Gangtok,  East Sikkim
Date: June 28, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan



Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Chordata
Class:              Mammalia
Order:            Carnivora
Family:           Viverridae
Subfamily:      Paradoxurinae
Genus:            Paguma
Species:           P. larvata

Binomial name: Paguma larvata (Hamilton-Smith, 1827)

Other Names:  masked palm civet or gem-faced civet

Special feature: It is native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia

The genus Paguma was first named and described by John Edward Gray in 1831. All described forms are regarded as a single species.

In recent times, masked palm civets were considered to be a likely vector of SARS.

Paguma larvata is protected in Malaysia and Thailand. The population of India is listed on CITES Appendix III. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. (Source: Wikipedia)