Spot Bellied Eagle Owl spotted in Seshachalam forest.

• A ‘Spot Bellied Eagle Owl’ (Bubo Nipalensis) was spotted for the first time in the Seshachalam forest, and for the third time in Andhra Pradesh.

 About Spot Bellied Eagle Owl

• The bold predatory bird, measuring 20-25 inches in length and weighing between 1.5 kg and 2 kg, feeds on small rodents and lizards.
• The bird makes a strange scream similar to humansand it is hence called the ‘Ghost of the Forest’ in India and ‘Devil Bird’ in Sri Lanka.
• It is a forest-inhabiting species found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia
• IUCN Status: Least Concern

Indian star tortoise faces twin challenges of habitat loss and genetic diversity, finds study.

• A recent study has revealed that genetic diversity of the species as well as habitat has suffered major losses because of rampant illegal trade.
• Rampant illegal trade has caused major losses and unscientific translocations that have resulted in genetic mixing between different populations.
• Star Tortoises, with their distinct star-like markings on the shell, are found in dry lowlands of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable
• Also included in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).