Sikkim Biodiversity: Where nature smiles

Saturday, 11 October 2014

Tree sparrow (Passer montanus - male) - Sikkim Bird

Tree sparrow (Passer montanus - male)

Place : Shantinagar, Singtam, East Sikkim,

Date: May 25, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Passeridae

Genus: Passer

Species: P. montanus

Binomial name: Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Other Names: Eurasian tree sparrow, tree sparrow

Special feature: The Tree Sparrow differs from the House Sparrow in having a much smaller bib and a bright chocolate brown cap. There is also a noticeable black patch on the white cheek with the back being streaky orange-brown and the bird is slightly smaller and slimmer.

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Slender Anthogonium (Anthogonium gracile) - Sikkim Orchid

Slender Anthogonium (Anthogonium gracile)

Place : Zaluk, East Sikkim
Date: September 15, 2014
Pic: Shital Pradhan

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Angiosperms

Class:

Order: Asparagales

Family: Orchidaceae

Subfamily: Epidendroideae

Tribe: Arethuseae

Subtribe: Bletiinae

Genus: Anthogonium

Species: A. gracile

Binomial name: Anthogonium gracile Wall. ex Lindl. (1836).

Other Names: Slender Anthogonium

Special feature: “Anthogonium is a genus of orchids (family Orchidaceae). At the present time (May 2014), only one species is recognized, i.e., Anthogonium gracile found in India, Assam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Guangxi, Guizhou, Tibet, and Yunnan”. (Source: Wikipedia)

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)