Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2025

Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2025 Latest News

The Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently released several critical publications, notably Animal Discoveries–2025 and Plant Discoveries–2025, during the 111th Foundation Day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata.

About Animal Discoveries and Plant Discoveries 2025

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), the country’s premier institution for faunal exploration and research, publishes Animal Discoveries every year detailing the new discoveries of fauna. 
• Similarly, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), the country’s premier organisation for plant research and taxonomy, publishes Plant Discoveries every year detailing the new discoveries of flora.

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Highlights of Animal Discoveries 2025

• India added 709 new species to its fauna in 2025, which includes 483 species new to science and 226 species recorded for the first time in India.  
• India’s total faunal biodiversity now reaches 105,953 species, reinforcing its position as a global megadiverse nation.
• Among the states, Kerala recorded the highest number of new species (98), followed by West Bengal (76), Karnataka (67), and Arunachal Pradesh (65). 
• Among the animal groups added to the country’s fauna Hymenoptera contributed the highest number of additions (106), followed by Lepidoptera (65), Diptera (64), Arachnida (64), Coleoptera (55), and Pisces (50), reflecting the remarkable diversity and continuing discovery of India’s invertebrate fauna. 
• Among the crucial fauna discovered in 2025 are 
  • Myotis himalaicus, a new species of Himayalan bat. 
  • Ptyctolaemus namdaphaensis and Ptyctolaemu siangensis are two newly discovered species of green fan-throated lizard from Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Lycodon irwini, a species commonly known as Irwin’s wolf snake, discovered on the remote Great Nicobar Island. 

Highlights of Plant Discoveries 2025

• It records the addition of 353 taxa to the country’s floral inventory, comprising 339 species and 14 infraspecific taxa. 
• Of these, 221 taxa have been described as new to science, while 132 taxa represent new distributional records for India. 
• Among the states, Arunachal Pradesh emerged as the leading contributor with 49 discoveries, followed by Uttarakhand (39) and Kerala (37). 
• Nearly 64 percent of all newly documented taxa were recorded from the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, and the North-Eastern states.
• It documents 154 angiosperms, three pteridophytes, 13 bryophytes, 62 lichens, 93 fungi, 22 algae, and six microbes.  
• Approximately 43% of the newly described taxa belong to vascular plants.
• Among the most notable discoveries are several wild relatives of economically and ecologically significant plant groups, including Begonia, Impatiens (balsams), legumes, and orchids. 
• Among the crucial plants discovered are,
  • Polystichum siangense, a recently discovered species of fern belonging to the family Dryopteridaceae, found in the Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Miliusa beddomei, a new wild member of the custard apple family discovered in the Western Ghats.
  • Hericium indicum, a recently discovered species of wild edible tooth fungus in Uttarakhand.

News: AIMA