Kole Wetlands

Kole Wetlands Latest News

A recent scientific study conducted at the Kole wetlands, a Ramsar-listed ecosystem in Kerala, has documented a total of 12 species of pygmy grasshoppers.

About Kole Wetlands

• The Kole wetlands are located in Central Kerala, that spreads over Thrissur and Malappuram districts. 
• It is popular for its paddy cultivation that dates back to 300 years. 
• The wetland gets its name from its high productivity – ‘Kole’ literally translates to ‘bumper crop’ in Malayalam.
• The Kole areas are low-lying and have a central, narrow strip covering a long expanse, with many pockets running into cultivated land on either side.
• The region is naturally subject to saltwater ingression. During the monsoon, the entire region, which gets submerged under water, is cultivated by draining the water and by erecting bunds. 
• As Kole is a large sprawling wetland with human habitation all around, there are coconut and arecanut plantations, gardens, and cultivated plants.
• It is one of largest, highly productive, and threatened wetlands in Kerala. 
• It comes in the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds. 
• In terms of the number of birds, the Kole Wetlands is the third largest in India after Chilika Lake in Orissa and Amipur Tank in Gujarat. 
• It has been recognised as one of India’s Important Bird Areas by BirdLife International.
• It was declared as a Ramsar site of international importance in 2002.

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What are Pygmy Grasshoppers?

• They are any of about 1,400 species of insects (order Orthoptera) that are small (about 15 mm [0.6 inch] long), brown, gray, or moss-green, and related to true grasshoppers. 
• However, the pygmy grasshopper has the forewings either reduced to small pads or absent. 
• The pygmy grasshopper is distinguished from the short-horned grasshopper by its practice of depositing its eggs singly in small grooves in the soil, rather than in underground chambers. 
• It is abundant in fields containing short grasses and on muddy shores. 
• Many species are dimorphic, having both a short form with reduced hindwings and a long form with functional hindwings. 
• Sound-producing and hearing organs are absent in pygmy grasshoppers.

Source: TH