Nature watch

Bats are placental mammals that have achieved true flight. After mating and fertilisation, the egg is implanted in the wall of the uterus and the foetus undergoes development over a gestation period. After birth, the young are protected and given shelter, suckled, and possibly instructed before weaning and eventual independence. Within this period, bats show considerable variation in behaviour which is generally linked to climate and feeding habits. This article explains the behaviour associated with different breeding systems in different climatic regimes.     

Nature watch

Shield tails are a group of snakes belonging to the family Uropeltidae, endemic to the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. They are small, beautiful non-poisonous snakes with bright colours, found at high altitudes in the ‘shola’ forests. They spend much of their life burrowing 1–2 metres beneath the surface, in search of their favourite food, earthworms. Loss of habitat has been a major cause for their decline and many of the species may now be endangered.     

Nature watch

The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove vegetation in the world. Changes in the environment, particularly driven by climate change, forewarn us of the dwindling diversity of exclusive mangrove plants and the charismatic animal species–especially the tiger. The Sunderbans, with its fast-changing geomorphic and hydrological character, is creeping towards its doomsday.     

Nature watch

Resonance - The evergreen kokum tree found along the west coast of India is known not only for its beauty but also for its use as a condiment. Its economic and ecological potential make it ideally...     

Nature watch

Sea turtles are a fascinating group of marine reptiles that evolved millions of years ago. They show an intriguing variety of strategies to deal with their aquatic mode of life. Their migrations are legendary, and the mass nesting of the Ridleys is one of nature's most extraordinary spectacles. The eight species are all endangered due to human activities. While some have been exploited for meat, others have suffered due to factors such as pollution. This article details some of the more interesting aspects of their life history and examines their decline in recent times.     

Nature watch

Coral reefs, sometimes called the “the rainforests of the sea” for their extraordinary biological diversity, are one of the most beautiful ecosystems of our planet. These shallow-water ecosystems are distributed in tropical and subtropical oceanic regions and harbour a multitude of life forms with sometimes very complex interactions. Recent threats to the coral reefs as a result of human induced disturbances (leading to large as well as small scale effects), their consequences to reef ecology and possible conservation measures are discussed     

Nature watch

The Montane Ecosystem, its decline through numerous human acitivities and its relevance to the development of conservation strategies are described in this article.     

Nature watch

Of the 20 or more extant mammalian orders, the order Primates is surely the most fascinating for us humans, as we too belong to this order; and the evolution of primate morphology and behaviour has important bearings on the development of our own society and culture. Most of us are familiar with the group-living sociality of the commensal monkeys and some of the bigger apes like the chimpanzees and the gorillas. However, another group of primates, the nocturnal strepsirrhines, which are equally fascinating in their behaviour and ecology, remain virtually unknown due to their small size and nocturnal habits. In this article I discuss the social behaviour of the slender loris, a nocturnal strepsirrhine found in India.     

Nature watch

Fascinating and grand, with curious beaks and breeding habits, hornbills are a naturalist’s delight. In forest types ranging from open savannah to rainforest across Africa and Asia, they occupy the pride of place among birds and play a pivotal role as mutualistic frugivores and seed dispersers of various trees. Due to the impact of humans on hornbills and their habitats, most species are now endangered. Fortunately, there has been some success in recent conservation efforts to save these magnificent forest flagships.     

Nature watch

The reasons behind sexual segregation in animals are many. In this article, this complex behavioural aspect in Nilgiri Tahr is described.     

Nature watch

The dhole (Cuon alpinus) is a social hunter and a cooperative breeder. Dholes live in packs with rigid hierarchies. Their social behaviour, hunting strategies and breeding patterns are described in this article.     

Nature watch

Deer are some of the commonest, most visible, and attractive mammals in many forests and grasslands of India. They display a fascinating variety in their antlers, social systems, herd-forming behaviour, and ecology. Unfortunately, several factors have brought some species to the brink of extinction today.     

Nature watch

Every evening, against the backdrop of a setting sun, scores of both insect and fruit eating bats emerge out in search of food. While most of the bats emerge from pre-existing structures such as caves, crevices and human habitation, some emerge from structures modified by their own efforts. Our interest is particularly in the fruit bats emerging out from modified foliage. Because of their role in the regeneration of tropical forests by dispersing huge numbers of seeds, fruit bats are of profound importance. In this article, we discuss the mating strategy adopted by the Indian short-nosed fruit batCynopterus sphinx, the mechanics of tent-making in this species, and some recent findings which argue for an alternative breeding strategy.     

Nature watch

The author introduces us to the fascinating world of bats: their features, classification, habitats, food habits, and distribution.