Chameleon : Unbelievable body parts
Chameleons are reptiles and related to lizards. They live predominantly in trees and have several physical adaptations to suit this arboreal life. Most of the world's 135 or so chameleon species are found in Africa and Madagascar, with just one variety extending to India. The Parson's Chameleon can exceed 60cm in length and the Pygmy Stump-tailed Chameleon, which is only about twice the length of a human fingernail, at about 35mm.
Chameleon has two eyes that can work independently. One eye can be looking backward and the other eye forward at the same time. But when the chameleon spots something to eat, both eyes focus on the target. This gives the chameleon the stereoscopic vision it needs to judge distance before it strikes with its sticky tongue. Chameleon has prehensile tails, which they curl around trees like an extra leg to help then climb. Their toes are fused into two opposing groups, facing forwards and backwards for better grip. Of course due to this clamp like legs their movement is extremely slow. Chameleon has extremely long, slender tongues which they can propel at speed towards unsuspecting insects. They sticky tip of the tongue adheres to the insect which is then withdrawn to the mouth. They have seen to extend the tongue as much as 30 cm beyond the mouth.
Chameleons also have the ability to change color. Many believe this is to match a background in order to blend in and hide using camouflage. The truth, however, is that chameleons do not change color to match their background. Chameleon color change is controlled by the central nervous system and hormonal cues. These cues trigger changes in melanin arrangement and distribution and alter the overlapping effects of pigments in the skin. Such color change can be due to the external temperature, health, mood and reproductive condition of the animal or in territorial and display situations. Chameleons are able to undergo rapid and reversible color change in response to changes in their surroundings.
This particular chameleon was rescued near the Yeoor village and then subsequently released in deep forest. This chameleon was nearly full grown and quite aggressive with continuously hissing and ballooning its body.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Butterfly Migration.
Generally people are more familiar with the bird migration, but at the same time very few people know about the migration of the butterflies. It is very amazing that such a delicate and tiny insect can do long journeys during migration. But often we can see the swarms of butterflies in a large numbers flying towards a particular direction. But still the butterfly migration is somewhat different from bird migration as their journeys are usually one-way and the flyers do not return to the place of their birth at all. The total distance traveled by a butterfly is its life time is known as life time track, which may vary from 2 km to as much as 3000 km.
In birds or animals it is easy to record their migration as they have longer life and often they return back to the same area. In butterflies the life span is very short, the generation which moves from north to south may die after laying eggs in south and it is the next generation which returns to north. The butterfly when flying between two habitats prefers to adapt a particular single direction. Most butterflies fly when the sunlight is bright, as they prefer to have the effect of thermal efficiency. It is still a mystery how butterflies assemble and decide in which directions they should fly, so that the new areas they reach will have plenty of food for their caterpillars.
In India, two types of migration have been observed. In one, at irregular intervals, many thousands of particular species or related species of butterflies seen flying in streams in a particular direction. These are particularly Milkweed butterflies and Yellows and Whites. The other type of migration takes place regularly, mainly to avoid unfavorable weather conditions, and it is common in those species that are found in hills. Such butterflies came down to avoid extreme cold or heavy rainfalls.
In India, these species have been reported as regular migrants; Lime, Common Emigrant, Mottled Emigrant, common albatross, Common Indian Crow, Dark Blue Tiger, Blue Tiger, Striped Tiger, Great Eggfly, Painted Lady, Pea Blue and there are about 60 other species recorded in India. But as there are very few butterfly observers and no fix method of migration study, very less is known about this. It is very important that if we collect such data or information and used it for study then we will certainly get some amazing fact about butterflies and their migration.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Ladybird Beetle: Natural pest control for plant eaters.
This is lady beetle or ladybird beetle. Most species of ladybird beetles are among our most beneficial insects. This fact and their attractive appearance have contributed to the generally good opinion of them held by most people. And with the same reason French call them “creatures of the good god”. There are more than 4000 species found worldwide. Most species can be identified by the pattern of spots on their wing covers.
Like all beetles, the ladybird beetle has a complete metamorphosis with distinct egg, larval, pupal and adult stages. Usually the life cycle from egg to adult requires about three to four weeks. Tiny, yellow oval eggs are laid upright in clusters of 10 to 50 on undersides of leaves. Eggs hatch in 3 to 5 days, and larva feed on aphids or other insects for two to three weeks. The larva pupate then the adult emerges in 7 to 10 days.
Ladybird beetles, both adult and larva, are known primarily as predators of aphids, but they prey also on many other pests such as soft scale insects, mealy bugs and spider mites etc. One larva will eat 400 medium size aphids during its development to the pupal stage. An adult will eat more than 5000 aphids in its lifetime. In western countries dealers collect these insects and sell. The reason for this is that the beetles congregate in huge numbers in colonies or aggregate in the same site year after year.
Ladybird beetles have some interesting means of protection. Their red or orange and black coloration warns birds that they would not make very tasty meal. Birds learn that insects that are red and black or yellow and black usually sting or taste bad and hence they leave such insects alone. Ladybird beetles, of course, can’t sting but do taste bad. They also will “play dead” when in danger. Many predators will not eat an insect that doesn’t move. Also, ladybird beetles probably produce a bad smelling odor, perhaps by way of a fluid from joints in the legs, which may help to protect them.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Ant and Blue Caterpillar.
Ants are important, highly effective and even specialized predators of many other insect species. But at the same time complex and often mutualistic relationship have evolved between ants and other insects. As many as 100000 insect species interact with ants. The vast majority of these are happy relationships, either a simple and peaceful coexistence or a mutually beneficial relationship where both the ant and the other insect species gain something from each other.If the caterpillar is discovered by a dark reddish ant (an ant in the genus Myrmica), then it will go through a process known as adoption. If any other type of ant discovers the caterpillar, however, it will be treated like any other caterpillar, which usually means being eaten. During the adoption procedure, a Myrmica ant will touch the caterpillar all over with her antennae. During this time the caterpillar may secrete a droplet of a sweet secretion from a special gland on its back, which the ant drinks. After a while the caterpillar will flatten the rear or middle of its body, and the ant will pick the caterpillar up and carry it away.
In another case the ant will carry the caterpillar back to the ant nest and place it among the ant larvae. Once inside the ant nest, the caterpillars are fed by the ants much as if they were their own larvae. Worker ants regurgitate liquid food that the caterpillars drink. The ants seem to prefer feeding caterpillars to feeding their own larvae, so that fewer ant larvae can develop.
Although caterpillars will be adopted by any Myrmica ant species that finds them, they are able to survive in the nests of one or two species of ant. If caterpillars are adopted into a nest of the right species of ant they will grow rapidly, increasing in weight about 100 times in their first month in the nest. They will stay in the nest throughout the autumn, winter and spring, and will turn into pupae in the early summer.On the back of caterpillar there is a large secretory organ found toward the rear end of many lycaenid caterpillars. It most lycaenids that possess it, it produces droplets of a honeydew-like liquid which are eagerly consumed by ants. In the large blue butterflies it only seems to be used during the adoption process, where a droplet of secretion is provided for Myrmica ants which find a caterpillar in the field.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Tawny Coster’s Emergernce
A Tawny Coster butterfly is hanging on a twig, having just emerged from its pupa or chrysalis. It is very much different from the thorny red brown caterpillar. Its wings are still crumpled, but it is already obvious that their shape is visible, and that the subtle yellow / orange / red with white spots on the underside is brightly shining. Soon it will extend its wings as they dry, and blood begins to be pumped into them and then it will be able to fly off free in nature.
A month before, after eating its own eggshell, which was full off valuable nutrients, a tiny caterpillar started to wriggle on a leaf of Passiflora in search of more food. The eggs were laid in batches and can be from 20 to 100 per leaf. The color of the egg is light yellow, slightly elongated and tall. The caterpillar after hatching from the egg lives together for several hours on the same leaf and chewing the top layer. After some time they depart and start living individually chewing their own leaf after leaf. It is dark brown / red in color with lots of spines on the body. Its appetite was insatiable. It chewed and chewed, shedding its skin each time it became too big for it. The caterpillars feed so fast that they destroys branch after branch. The pupa is white with black lines, spots and red markings. It is elongated and suspended freely from the support. It is one of the most beautifully marked pupa in our Indian species.
Few insects that undergo complete metamorphosis start life looking nothing at all like their parents. However many times the larva sheds its skin, it does not become any more like the mature form until a miraculous change takes place inside the pupa. Once it emerges as an adult, it will not grow any more because it can never shed its exoskeleton (outer skin). Bees, wasps, ants, beetles, butterflies and moths all undergo complete metamorphosis.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

A walking fish – Mud Skipper
Mudskippers are the fish that have become adapted to an amphibious lifestyle. They are common on tidal mudflats throughout tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia where they crawl about out of water feeding on small animals and algae. Commonly known as mudskippers, their scientific name, Periophthalmus, refers to their ability to see in all directions with their protruding eyes. They are extraordinary members of the goby family of small tropical fishes. Well suited to an extreme range of habitats, their adaptive figures include two dorsal fins and ventral fins, more or less united. A tapering tail provides the flipping, but the crawling is dependent on front fins with muscular stalks that give an effective imitation of forelegs. Some use their ventral fins as a kind of suction cup or claspers with which to cling to a vertical surface, such as mangrove root, while watching for food or a mate. The dorsal fins differ in color pattern and development from one species to another, an d are flicked up like flags on display or lowered flush with the back, like a signal system to others of the same species.
They grow generally six to eight inches long; mudskippers belong to a mudflat community where salt and fresh water meets. They have a body that tapers backward from a massive head, and a low crosswise mouth with thin lips beneath a pair of nostrils. In all situations, the fish raises its eyes close together, moving them constantly to keep independent watch on the surroundings. At intervals a mudskipper blinks, bulging its eyes into its mouth much as a frog or toad might do, renewing the moisture that keeps them well wetted. The body is so well camouflaged with streaks of mud that birds have difficulty capturing mudskippers for their meals. The fish has every chance to see a bird coming, and if it senses danger, it skips away over the mud, leaping nearly three feet at a time, into some hole or the nearest water. So agile are they that a person on the slippery mud has difficulty catching a mudskipper by hand.
During the mating season in June and July, these males court whatever females of their kind invade the territory. Flipping his whole body into the air with all fins expanded, each male advertises his readiness to have any willing female enter his water-filled hole as a place to spawn. There he can fertilize her eggs and start a new generation. As the water rises with the returning tide, he closes the hole with mud to make a brood chamber. She helps, using her mouth to add to the surrounding wall of mud and mucus until it is about an inch high.
Yuwaraj

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Black Rajah at Mud puddle
In Yeoor mud puddling season started already. We can see lots of butterflies attracting and congregating on small dried nallahs where few wed mud patches exists. This is Black Rajah attracted on mud and fruit bait. The underwings are whitish grey with series of yellow spots. Its got 2 beautiful and elegant tails on each wing and gives him “Rajah” look. This butterfly is very strong and active day flying butterfly found near the tamarind tree which is its food plant. It settles always on high up and difficult to locate because of its protective coloration. This is one of the fastest butterflies of India and is very uncommon here in Thane.
In butterflies, especially males of certain species--enjoy puddles. They love to congregate at puddles. Butterflies have a keen sense of smell and are attracted to nectar in flowers immediately. Many adult butterflies are found drinking fluids at wet sand or mud, especially along stream courses or the edges of dirt roads or trails. There are certain minerals that some butterflies, such as swallowtails, sulfurs, and blues need that are not provided in a diet of nectar alone. These minerals are found in standing water, or mud puddles.
It seems whenever the word butterfly is mentioned it is immediately connected with the word nectar. This is entirely appropriate, since nectar is without a doubt the primary food source of butterflies. The preferred diets will vary considerably depending upon the butterfly species. While people generally think of butterflies as feeding from the nectar of flowers, other common diets include mud, cow dung, water and tree sap. They get nutrients and minerals from rotting fruit, sap and even dung, urine, and carrion. The butterfly's mouthpart, or proboscis, is used to probe for and drink nectar from flowers. Their proboscis is like a long, spiral-like tube and works in a remarkable way, similar to that of an elephant's trunk. As the butterfly forces blood into this spiral-like tube, it then becomes straight. This type of mouthpart means that the butterfly feeds primarily on liquids as opposed to their caterpillars, which have chewing mouthparts. This Rajah was attracted to the over ripped and rotten fruits and greedily sucked the juices from it.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Grey Partridge with babies
Grey Francolin, also called Gray Partridge or “teetar” in Marathi or Hindi, is a common breeding resident bird in India. The Grey Francolin’s legs and feet are dark red. It is about 31 cm long, and about the size of a large domestic pigeon or a half-grown village hen, but with shorter tail and wings. Being a game bird, it is characterized by its strong legs and feet, adapted to both running and scratching. The birds are however well camouflaged by the pattern of their plumage. The breast and abdomen grayish white, tinged with rufous and closely barred with narrow wavy black bars. Sexes alike, but the male somewhat larger with a sharp spur, occasionally double, on each leg.
The Grey Francolin inhabits open ground dotted with scrub jungle, grasslands. It is typically found in pairs, but family parties or coveys of 4-8 birds are also known which break up into pairs during the breeding season. Despite its brown plumage, it is a beautiful bird with a graceful walk, well adapted to withstand drought conditions. As they can subsist for long periods without water as long as dew is available, they are even encountered miles away from water. Although the Grey Francolin is an amazing runner, it prefers to walk. The birds seem to glide rather than run. When alarmed or disturbed, they will quickly fly with a true Partridge ‘whirr’ and disappear into the nearest bush. The Grey Francolin is an extremely noisy bird, whose call is the most noteworthy. In India, partridges are captured and kept as pets because of their loud calls, and also trained to fight.
The cryptic coloration of the hen helps provide some degree of protection to the eggs while she sits on them. The female lays from 8-10 eggs, but sometimes the clutch size can be larger, from 8-16. Other Partridge hens produce some of the largest clutches of any bird species. Clutch size can range up to 22 eggs, and averages 16 to 18. The chicks feed for themselves from hatching, but they are escorted and guided by one or both parents. Both adults and young feed on insects, mostly grasshoppers. They can be observed digging and scratching the ground for insects with the bill and feet. Even cattle dung is pecked at times for food. The young are especially fond of ants and their pupae or larvae.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.
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Leaf Praying Mantis
This is bizarre looking variety of Leaf praying mantis. As it was photographed on rock that’s why you can identify some of its body parts or otherwise in bush it is totally camouflaged. Praying Mantis is carnivorous insect that belongs to the Order Dictyoptera. There are about 2,000 species of mantis. The biggest praying mantises are six inches long and the smallest praying mantis is only 2/5 of an inch, or one-centimeter. Their colors vary, ranging from light greens to pinks. Most mantises are pea green or brown. The tropical flower mantises, which resemble flowers, are usually light colors such as pink. Flower mantises, closely resemble flowers that insects will often land on them to get nectar. These 2 mantis are young and very much camouflaged in the dry leaves of Jamun Tree.
Camouflage is very important for the praying mantis' survival. Because they have so many enemies such as birds, they must blend in with their habitat to avoid being eaten. They have a triangular-shaped head with a large compound eye on each side. Praying mantis is the only insect that turn from side to side in a full 180-degree angle. Their eyes are sensitive to the slightest movement up to 60 feet away. They have straight, leathery forewings and very powerful jaws used for devouring its prey. They have a long prothorax and strong, spiny front legs held together in a praying manner.
The praying mantis is a carnivorous insect that takes up a deceptively humble posture when it is searching for food. When at rest, the mantis' front forelegs are held up together in a posture that looks like its praying. These front legs are equipped with rows of sharp spines used to grasp its prey. They wait unmoving and are almost invisible on a leaf or a stem, ready to catch any insect that passes. When potential prey comes close enough, the mantis thrusts its pincher-like forelegs forward to catch it. The prey probably won't escape because the forelegs are so strong and armed with overlapping spines. The mantis bites the neck of its prey to paralyze it and begins to devour it. The mantis almost always starts eating the insect while it's still alive, and almost always starts eating from the insect's neck. This way, the mantis makes sure that the insect's struggle stops quickly. Praying mantises eat insects and other invertebrates such as other mantises, beetles, butterflies, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, and even spiders.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Wings Scales for safety and attraction.
Lepidoptera is the order of insect, which includes butterflies and moths, which means "scale wing" in Greek. Most Lepidoptera have tiny, colored scales on their wings that give them their characteristic color patterns. The wings are made of a very thin membrane, fed by a network of veins. This thin membrane is covered by thousands of tiny scales and transparent hairs. Both moths and butterflies have very tiny scales on their wings. They're sort of like the scales on fish, but much smaller; so small that they seem like a fine powder. The size and shape of the scales varies depending on the species, so some of them seem "fuzzier" than others. The scales are made of very thin layers of chitin, which is the same material that the outer shells of insects are made of. The scales are the powders that you get on your hands when you catch a butterfly. The scales are to give coloration to the wings because they contain the color pigments. The iridescent blue, green, and white colors are the product of not only the color of the scales but also the transparent thin hairs on top of the scales. The hairy scales refract (bend) light, resulting in the iridescence effect (just like the way sunglasses work). The reflection and refraction of light within those scale layers is what produces the iridescent colors.
One of the functions of these scales is as a defense against predators. The scales also help protect them from predators by making the wings real slippery and hard to hold. Since the scales are loosely attached, they come off easily and act just like talcum powder does to lubricate the wings. Butterflies can even sustain some structural wing damage and retain the ability to fly. Butterflies and moths aren't completely waterproof, the scales do tend to repel water so that a butterfly can fly through the rain without getting its wings waterlogged. The scales regulate a butterfly's body temperature by either absorbing or reflecting sunlight, depending on the angle the wings are turned to the sun. Scent scales are modified wing scales on the forewing of male butterflies and moths that release pheromones. These chemicals attract females of the same species.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Potter Wasp: Craftsmen in Clay
It is interesting to find insects or other creatures building structures out of the same kind of materials that we use. Some times, though, we find that they are even more skilful than human craftsmen using these building materials. Wasps are members of the insect order Hymenoptera, which includes ants, bees, and sawflies. Wasps exhibit remarkably sophisticated behavior and are often helpful, especially to farmers, because they help to check the population of other insects that may be harmful to crops.
This red brown wasp was very busy, scraping up little balls of soil and flying off with them. We stay there for nearly 45 minutes and she was coming for the soil after every 3 / 4 minutes. She already decided the spot, she just sprays some liquid from mouth to wet the dry soil, then standing nearly on her head, begins forming a small ball with her mandibles and front feet. When she is satisfied that the load is sufficient, she takes off with it.
Probably Potter Wasp is the most skilful of all the insect works in clay. The female selects a suitable twig and goes to work. Upon the slender twig she first forms a shallow, thin walled bowl. Then she adds more clay, working wit her mandibles until a tiny, thimble-sized globe with a small neck is formed. Her final touch of elegance is a thin rim about the neck that curves gracefully outward.
Now she goes for hunting, she specializes in caterpillars, which she paralyses with her sting and pokes into the jug through the neck. When she decides the supply is sufficient, she inserts her abdomen and lays an egg, but here again it is a careful operation. To be sure that the semi-conscious caterpillars will not injure her precious egg, she suspends it from the ceiling by a fine thread. Lastly she brings another load of clay which she uses as stopper for her jug. As far as she is concerned the job is now finished and she either flies away or builds other jugs nearby.
The egg hatches into a larva and finds itself surrounded by fresh food to eat. As it develops, the larva eats all the stored, paralysed caterpillars. Mothers provide just enough food to eat – never excess or the caterpillars would putrefy while the larva was in pupal stage. When it is full-grown, its powerful jaws can cut open the end of the jug. For the rest of its adult life, the wasp will never eat meat again, only nectar and sap.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Tiny “Bat”man.
Bats are among the most misunderstood of all animals because of the irrational fear among people and the ignorance of the vital role that they play in the control of insects and aiding seed-dispersal and pollination of several plant species. There are now more than 1000 known species which are among the largest groups of mammals followed by the rodents. They have unique and unusual ability of powered flight for mammals led to the success and diversification. Due to this bats can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Bats are of two kinds, according to their food habits, they can be classified as insect-eating bats (micro bats) and fruit-eating bats (mega bats). The former navigate by echo location, emit ultrasounds that is inaudible to human ear, then "read" as they bounce back from the obstacles to the bat's highly sensitive ear receptors. Unlike micro bats, mega bats do not use echo location, but rely rather on their sharp eyesight and acute sense of smell.
The fruit bats are sometimes called "flying foxes" on account of their fox-like snouts. There are 12 species of fruit bats in India. Among these, the Indian flying fox is the largest of all fruit bats with a wing span of about one meter. The smallest bat is called a Bumblebee bat and can be found in Thailand. It weighs less than 20 gms. India is proud to have a rare and endemic fruit bat, named after Salim Ali (Latidens salimalii) which entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993 as one of the rarest bats of the world. This endemic Indian species is only recorded from the confines of the High Wavy Tea and Coffee Estates (Kardana coffee estate) near Chinnamanur in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. The fulvous fruit bat and the short-nosed fruit bat are common throughout the country.
With an excellent sense of smell, they detect food at distances of a mile or more. The Indian short-nosed fruit bat is an efficient pollinator. They are active feeders, eating fruits more than their body weight in several sittings. They normally nest high in palm trees. Flying foxes play a pivotal role on multifarious ecosystems as the pollinators and seed dispersers for a diverse array of plants. They play a crucial part in plant reproduction of countless species as they fly from flower to flower sipping nectar. Insect eating bats also proved beneficial as a single little brown bat can eat 1,200 mosquitoe-sized insects in just one hour.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.

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Walking on Water
Pond skaters appear to be resting in the still surface of pond water but are always at the ready. Suitable prey might chance to wander by, and if so, the predators will pounce. Pond skaters are so quick on their feet as they skim the surface of the water that these carnivores can easily catch an unwary insect. It had only come to the pond for a drink but lost its life to the skaters.
The bodies of pond skaters are covered with silver water-repellent hairs that prevent them being damp. They frequently jump considerable distance but never break water’s surface. Their hind legs steer them along the stream of water very freely and smoothly. Pond skaters are so confident and stable on the surface of the water that they can even mate there easily. Sea-skaters, meanwhile, though possibly hundred of miles from the nearest land mass, move on the same way as pond skaters but over the deep ocean surfaces. This insect moves across the water at speeds of up to 30 inches per second.
These insects weigh so little that they can frequently take advantage of the phenomenon of surface tension. Indeed, if they are light enough and can spread their weight, they are able, literally, to walk on water without going through surface. Then, by rowing motions with their legs, they can skate around on the surface at an impressive rate. If they are predatory, any movement on the surface will make ripples travel outward. Then all the pond skaters have to do is pounce on the prey. But if one type of Rove beetle is in the vicinity, however, they may not be so lucky, and a deadly skating competition, with the loser ending up as lunch, might begin. This Rove beetle has a remarkable method of moving. It can secrete a drop of fluid from the tip of its abdomen, and the fluid will lower the surface tension of the water behind it so that it is drawn forward at a rapid rate without much effort. This is a fantastic means of making a speedy get-away to safety or of accelerating in the role of predator.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.
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Hawk Moth Caterpillar.
Butterflies and moths undergo major developmental changes during their growth. The butterfly lay eggs, which hatch into creeping forms with chewing mouthparts. These are called as caterpillars or larvae. Incidentally, the word caterpillar is derived from two Latin words, catta pilosa, meaning hairy cat, which is quite descriptive of some kinds. During this stage the butterfly feeds and grows. It is only during the larval stage, that actual growth occurs, and a caterpillar’s only aim in life is to feed and store up food.
In and around Mumbai we can able to see around 16/17 varieties of Hawk Moths. Hawk Moths are large size moths. They have the strong and aerodynamic-shaped body. Their forewings are narrow and long with smaller hind wings. They are very good flyer. They can fly very fast, fly long distance and fly backward. They can hover in flight to sip nectar from flowers using their long tongue. When at rest, they hold their wings on body like a tent.
Mature Hawk Moth Caterpillars are usually stout, with cylindrical hairless body and small head. They usually have a prominent tapering horn on their last segment. They have strong prolegs on 3, 4, 5, and 6 segments. Their anal prolegs are strong as well. The Caterpillars are often brightly coloured, with diagonal stripes and eyespots. They pupate in the soil or within plants litter near their foodplants. Due to the eyespots and stripes the overall look is quite frightening and many predators ignored them. Although most caterpillars feed on leaves, there are strict preferences for specific host plants. These strict preferences are dictated by the chemical composition of the plant parts that the caterpillar eats. Therefore, the caterpillar feeding on a particular plant species or set of species will not eat leaves of other species. Some caterpillars may prefer slightly mature leaves, some may refuse to eat anything other than tender ones; most prefer to tender leaves but otherwise eat whichever are available on the plants where their mothers as eggs place them.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.
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Frog with tiny tail
Frogs normally lay many eggs because there are many hazards between fertilization and full grown adult frogs. Those eggs that die tend to turn white or opaque. The lucky ones that actually manage to hatch still start out on a journey of many perils. The eggs are kept safe in jelly like substance which gives entire protection to baby inside. Normally within 6 to 21 days depending on the species, the egg will hatch.
Shortly after hatching, the tadpole still feeds on the remaining yolk, which is actually in its gut. The tadpole at this point consists of poorly developed gills, a mouth, and a tail. It's really fragile at this point. They usually will stick themselves to floating weeds or grasses in the water using little sticky organs between its' mouth and belly area. Then, 7 to 10 days after the tadpole has hatched, it will begin to swim around and feed on algae and other decaying material in the water. After about 4 weeks, the gills start getting grown over by skin, until they eventually disappear. The tadpoles get teeny tiny teeth which help them chew their solid food. They have long coiled guts that help them digest as much nutrients from their food.
After about 6 to 9 weeks, little tiny legs start to sprout. The head becomes more distinct and the body elongates. By now the diet may grow to include larger items like dead insects and even plants. The arms will begin to bulge where they will eventually pop out, elbow first. After about 9 weeks, the tadpole looks more like a teeny frog with a really long tail. It is now well on it's way to being almost full grown. By 12 weeks, the tadpole has only a teeny tail stub and looks like a miniature version of the adult frog. Soon, it will leave the water, only to return again to lay more eggs and start their new generation all over again.
Yuwaraj Gurjar.
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Noisy Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfishers are common here in our forests or even in cities. This is one of the birds that can never fail to catch your attention. A brilliant turquoise blue with deep chocolate-brown head, neck and under parts, a long bright red ‘kingfisher-like’ bill and white front catches immediate attention. If you unable to see this bird still they make their presence known by their loud calls. They are often sighted in rural or city areas, perching on telephone wires. Its size is bigger than the Myna and both the sexes are alike and pairs can be seen near ponds, jheels, dense jungles etc. Though the other Kingfishers are closely related to water bodies this bird can be seen both near and away from water bodies.
The bird is found in plains and lower hills all over India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Four races have been identified according to color and size differentiation. It is very fond of fish, tadpoles, grasshoppers, lizards and insects. While hunting along the water, they prey on crabs, frogs and reptiles like skinks, lizards. On land, they hunt large insects and scorpions, centipedes. They beat these against their perch to kill and remove venomous stings. They even take small mammals like rats, mice and small snakes. Like pied kingfisher, white-throated kingfisher also observes its prey from the superior position and the moment it’s within reach, a flash of lightening it catches it. White-throated Kingfishers dive to catch aquatic prey; in shallow water, entering feet-first, in deeper waters, head-first. They can also hover for a short while before plunging in. They also dive into grass and vegetation to catch their prey. Their huge bills come in handy to hammer their prey to death. Like other kingfishers, the white-throated kingfisher enjoys his food again at a perched place. The nesting season is from March to July. Like other birds they do not build nest on trees and with the sticks. Whereas their nest is a horizontal tunnel like structure dug in a mud wall near the stream, where four to seven white spherical eggs are laid. Normally both the parents do the parental care.
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