“What had that flower to do with being white
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth hither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?
If design govern a thing so small.”
--Robert Frost, in his poem Design
Researchers from IISc studied whether urban environments adversely affect the health and fitness of urban lizards.
Long before humans arrived on this planet, elephants have been walking on Earth. Often referred to as the ‘keystone’ species by scientists, these gentle giants play a significant role in maintaining the ecological balance of their habitat.
Researchers from the IISc, Bengaluru, BNHS, Mumbai, OSU, USA, and NHM, London, have discovered two new species of lizards in the Western Ghats.
In an exciting recent study, researchers have reported, for the first time, an accidental encounter of a male praying mantis (Hierodula tenuidentata), eating a guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) in Karnataka.
The banks of the river Krishna, an iconic river in South India, is a sight to behold! As you gaze through its vastness, have you ever wondered how the river is, and since when it is flowing? Here is a trivia—the rivers that flow in Karnataka are, in fact, older than the mighty Himalayas!
“Ecology is boring for the same reason that destruction is fun”, said Don DeLillo, an American novelist and playwright. This saying resonates very well with road ecology. Road kills are soon forgotten till the next one happens, reckless driving in protected areas is ubiquitous and polluting ecologically sensitive area is an act of no shame. And, this is not fun!
Savitri is a cheerful 6-year old girl with twinkle in her eyes and swiftness in her feet. She is extremely delighted to pen down the curvy tip of the beak of Purple-rumped Sunbird in her note, her 100th bird species to be identified during her birding trips. The alluring plumage, swift flight, striking songs of these feathered friends fascinate not only her, but the entire mankind!
A sneak peak into the world of the moth, a severely under studied insect that is in dire need of conservation.
Crab spiders are a family of small, pretty spiders, some of which you could find in your own backyard or even on a potted plant. They are accomplished ambush hunters, making meals out of insects much larger than themselves – a crab spider half the size of your fingernail can easily grab a large butterfly. They are coloured to blend in remarkably with their surroundings, much like an octopus or a chameleon would. They perch on a hunting platform of their choice – usually the centre or base of a flower – and lie in waiting for their prey to venture close enough.