Asiatic water snake (Xenochrophis piscator)

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SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Xenochrophis

Species: X. piscator

Binomial name: Xenochrophis piscator (Schneider, 1799)

Other name : Checkered Keelback, Doodhe Saap (Nepali)

Special Feature :  It is a common species of nonvenomous snake. This snake is found in or near freshwater lakes or rivers. It feeds mainly on small fish and water frogs

Blue-fronted redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis - female) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Muscicapidae

Genus:            Phoenicurus

Species:           P. frontalis

Binomial name: Phoenicurus frontalis Vigors, 1832

Other Names:  The female is brownish-grey, with paler under parts. Its range includes the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. (Wikipedia)

Yellow-bellied fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxantha) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:              Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Stenostiridae

Genus:            Chelidorhynx Hodgson, 1844

Species:           C. hypoxantha

Binomial name: Chelidorhynx hypoxantha Blyth, 1843

Other Names:  yellow-bellied fairy-fantail

Special feature:  It is yellow below and has a black eye-stripe, white wing-bar and broad black tail tipped white.

It used to be placed in the family of the fantails (Rhipiduridae), but DNA analysis has shown it to be a close relative of the fairy flycatcher and it has therefore been transferred to the Stenostiridae (IOC World Bird List), in the re-validated monotypic genus Chelidorhynx. (Wikipedia)

Garrulax ocellatus (Spotted laughingthrush) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Leiothrichidae

Genus:            Garrulax (disputed)

Species:          G. ocellatus

Binomial name: Garrulax ocellatus (Vigors, 1831)

Other Names: 

Special feature:  The spotted laughingthrush (Garrulax ocellatus) is a bird species in the Leiothrichidae family. In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is sometimes placed in the genus Ianthocincla, as I. ocellata. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. (Wikipedia)

Pericrocotus speciosus (Scarlet minivet - male) - Sikkim Bird

Pericrocotus speciosus (Scarlet minivet - male)

Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim

Date: January 23, 2015

Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Campephagidae

Genus:            Pericrocotus

Species:           P. speciosus

Binomial name: Pericrocotus speciosus Latham, 1790

Other Names:  Scarlet Minivet

Special feature:  While the male of most subspecies are scarlet to orange with black upper parts, the females are usually yellow with greyish olive upper parts.

There are 13 species found in this genus:

    Rosy minivet,                                                          Pericrocotus roseus

    Swinhoe's minivet or brown-rumped minivet,        Pericrocotus cantonensis

    Ashy minivet,                                                          Pericrocotus divaricatus

    Ryukyu minivet,                                                     Pericrocotus tegimae

    Small minivet,                                                         Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

    Fiery minivet,                                                          Pericrocotus igneus

    Little minivet,                                                         Pericrocotus lansbergei

    White-bellied minivet,                                            Pericrocotus erythropygius

    Grey-chinned minivet,                                            Pericrocotus solaris

    Long-tailed minivet,                                               Pericrocotus ethologus

    Short-billed minivet,                                               Pericrocotus brevirostris

    Sunda minivet,                                                        Pericrocotus miniatus

    Scarlet minivet,                                                       Pericrocotus speciosus

    Orange minivet,                                                      Pericrocotus flammeus

Enicurus scouleri (little forktail) - Sikkim Bird

Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia

Phylum:          Chordata

Class:             Aves

Order:            Passeriformes

Family:           Muscicapidae

Genus:            Enicurus

Species:           E. scouleri

Binomial name: Enicurus scouleri Vigors, 1832

Other Names:  little forktail

Special feature: