Thursday, 9 October 2014

Banded Treebrown (Lethe confuse) - Sikkim Butterfly

Banded Treebrown (Lethe confuse)
Place : Sungdung, Rongli, East Sikkim
Date: October 4,  2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan




Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Animalia
Phylum:          Arthropoda
Class:              Insecta
Order:            Lepidoptera
Family:           Nymphalidae
Genus:            Lethe
Species:           L. confusa
Binomial name: Lethe confuse (Aurivillius, 1897)

Other Names: Banded Treebrown


Special feature: It is s found mainly in Southeast Asia and in parts of South Asia.

“This species is found in forested habitats, at altitudes between about 100-1000m. Males settle on rocks or bare earth to imbibe mineralised moisture. (http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com)”.

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Hymenocallis littoralis (Spider lily) - Sikkim Flora

  Hymenocallis  littoralis (Spider lily)
Place : 32 Number, East Sikkim
Date: July 27, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan




Scientific classification

Kingdom:       Plantae
Phylum:          Angiosperms
Class:              Liliopsida
Order:            Asparagales
Family:           Amaryllidaceae
Genus:            Hymenocallis  
Species:           H. littoralis

Binomial name: H. littoralis ( Jacq. ) Salisbury

Other Names:  Spider lily, Beach spider lily

Special feature: It is a perennial plant and bulbous family of Amaryllidaceae native to Mexico and Guatemala

It grows well in sandy, well drained and in warm, sunny places. You need abundant watering during the warm season and requires protection in extremely cold winters. It can survive being on the banks of canals and rivers, flowers in summer.

Hymenocallis: generic name comes from Greek and means "beautiful membrane", alluding to the staminal corona that characterizes the genre.

littoralis: epithet Latin meaning "the coast, near the sea".  (Source: Wikipedia)

Sunday, 21 September 2014

Metapercnia ductaria - Sikkim Moth

 Metapercnia ductaria
Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim
DateAugust 29 , 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan
Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia
Phylum:               Arthropoda
Class:                    Insecta
Order:                  Lepidoptera
Family:                Geometridae
Genus:                 Metapercnia
Species:                M. ductaria
Binomial name:    Metapercnia ductaria (Walker, 1862)

Other Names: 

Special feature:

Common evening brown (Melanitis leda- wet season) - Sikkim Butterfly

Common evening brown (Melanitis leda- wet season)
Place : Singtam, East Sikkim
Date: September 17,  2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan




Scientific classification

Kingdom:             Animalia
Phylum:               Arthropoda
Class:                    Insecta
Order:                  Lepidoptera
Family:                 Nymphalidae
Genus:                  Melanitis
Species:                 M. leda
Binomial name:    Melanitis leda (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other Names: Common evening brown


Special feature: It is a common species of butterfly found flying at dusk.

Colonel C. T. Bingham wrote of the genus in 1878;-

The Melanitis was there among dead leaves, its wings folded and looking for all the world a dead, dry leaf itself. With regard to Melanitis, I have not seen it recorded anywhere that the species of this genus when disturbed fly a little way, drop suddenly into the undergrowth with closed wings, and invariably lie a little askew and slanting, which still more increases their likeness to a dead leaf casually fallen to the ground. (Wikipedia)

Tuesday, 26 August 2014

Python bivittatus (Burmese python) - Sikkim Snake


Python bivittatus (Burmese python)

Venue: Burdang, Singtam,  East Sikkim

Date: June 24, 2014

Pic:
Python bivittatus (Burmese python)

Venue: Burdang, Singtam,  East Sikkim

Date: June 24, 2014

Pic:

In one of a rare instance, a dead python was recovered from the banks of River Teesta near ATTC College, Burdang. It was latter identifies as Burmese python (Python bivittatus).
According to the locals, the snake was 12 feet long and 1.6 m in circumference. It was later on handed over to OM Gurung, Block Officer, Wild Life Department of Fores, Rangpo Range.  
It should be noted that according to The Gazetter of Sikkim (1891), forest officials had arrested several persons for killing a 4 m. long Indian Python (Python moluru bivittatus) near Singtam. 

Scientific classification
Kingdom:            Animalia
Phylum:               Chordata
Class:                   Reptilia
Order:                  Squamata
Family:                Pythonidae
Genus:                 Python
Species:                P. bivittatus
Binomial name:    Python bivittatus (Kuhl, 1820)
Other Names: Burmese python
Special feature:  The Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is one of the five largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. Until 2009 they were considered a subspecies of Python molurus, but now are recognized as belonging to a distinct speciesThey are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees. Wild individuals average 3.7 metres (12 ft) long, but have been known to reach 5.74 metres (19 ft).  This python is an excellent swimmer and needs a permanent source of water. It can be found in grasslands, marshes, swamps, rocky foothills, woodlands, river valleys, and jungles with open clearings. They are good climbers and have prehensile tails.
Wild populations are considered to be "threatened" and are listed on Appendix II of CITES. IUCN has recently listed the Burmese python as "Vulnerable", reflecting its overall population decline. Important reasons for the decline are trade for skins and for food; habitat degradation may be a problem in some upland areas. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. (Wikipedia)
  
When compared with Indian Rock Python : 
 by Vivek Sharma    (ReptileIndia)
Burmese Pythons have side patches (on flank) more defined and much larger than those found in Indian Rock Python. In Indian Rock Python they are very small and usually not much significant to discuss. Additionally Burmese Python has much less or no yellow-brown amounts on body while in Indian Rock Python you can find these two colors have much significance.