1. Cao Bang crocodile newt
A new species of crocodile newt, the Cao Bang crocodile newt, has been discovered in Vietnam.
About Cao Bang crocodile newt:
- Cao Bang crocodile newt, or Tylototriton Koliaensis, is a new species of crocodile newt.
- It was found in Vietnam's mountainous farm.
- It lives in a mountain forest at elevations of 3,300 feet or more where the weather fluctuates from a colder dry season to a warmer rainy season.
- Features:
- The Cao Bang crocodile newts are medium-sized and are about 5-inches in length.
- It has stout bodies with rough skin, and its scales are like knobs or warts.
- The heads of the crocodile are large, and their limbs are very long and thin.
- It is completely black in colour with a uniform hue of bright orange on marks of fingertips and toes.
- The bottom part of the crocodile has a dark gray stomach and an orange stripe down to the center of the tail.
- The newts breed during the rainy summer in the slow-flowing streams or temporary pools, and they hide under rocks and cavities during the winter.
What is a crocodile newt?
- It is a genus of salamanders found primarily in Asia.
- They are called "crocodile newts" because of their rough, textured skin that resembles the hide of a crocodile.
- Most species are dark brown or black with bright orange or red markings on their head, back, and tail.
- They often live near slow-moving streams, ponds, or marshes where they can lay eggs and find food.
- Species Examples: Tylototriton verrucosus (Himalayan crocodile newt), Tylototriton shanjing (Emperor newt), Tylototriton kweichowensis (Kweichow crocodile newt).
2. Midnight Zone
A team of researchers recently discovered a glowing “mystery mollusk” named Bathydevius Caudactylus within the ocean's midnight zone.
About Midnight Zone:
- The ocean water column is made up of five zones: the sunlight zone (epipelagic), the twilight zone (mesopelagic), the midnight zone (bathypelagic), the abyssal zone (abyssopelagic), and the hadal zone (trenches).
- Sunlight is rapidly absorbed as it travels through water. Red, orange, and yellow are absorbed quickly, leaving water a brilliant blue, but even these wavelengths disappear as light travels deeper.
- By about 1,000 meters (about 3,300 feet) depth, even the faintest light has been extinguished, leaving these deep ocean waters in perpetual darkness.
- The resulting bathypelagic, or midnight, zone extends to about 4,000 meters (about 13,100 feet), which reaches the ocean floor in many places.
- The midnight zone is the single largest habitat on the planet, accounting for 70% of all seawater.
- In addition to the lack of light, the midnight zone is characterized by a steady temperature of around 4° Celsius (39° Fahrenheit).
- Life that exists in this zone must be able to function in cold temperatures and withstand extreme hydrostatic pressure.
- Pressure varies with depth, and in this zone, it ranges from 100 to 400 atmospheres.
- Organismshere have special adaptations including well-developed visual systems, bioluminescence used both to lure prey and attract mates, and well-developed auditory systems that allow them to hear other animals moving nearby.
Key Facts about Bathydevius Caudactylus:
- It is a new species of mollusk discovered within the ocean's midnight zone.
- Although the apple-size species is classified as a sea slug, the marine animal is unlike any sea slug scientists have seen before.
- It is a swimming sea slug that glows with bioluminescence and has a body with a paddle-like tail and a large gelatinous hood, and it’s the first sea slug found to live in the deep ocean.
- Typically, sea slugs live on the seafloor or in coastal environments like tide pools, while only a few are known to live in open water near the surface.
- Bathydevius moves up and down the water column by flexing its body or drifting in the currents.
- It is hermaphrodite, which includes both male and female reproductive organs.
3. Key Facts about Dead Sea
Researchers have discovered meter-high chimneys on the floor of the Dead Sea formed by the spontaneous crystallization of minerals from groundwater with an extremely high salt content flowing up out of the lake floor.
About Dead Sea:
- The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is a saline lake in southwestern Asialocated between Jordan and Israel.
- Its eastern shore is in Jordan, and the western shore is in Israel.
- However, the western shore’s southern half belongs to Israel, while the shore’s northern half is in the West Bank, an area claimed by both Israel and Palestine.
- It lies to the east of the Mediterranean Sea and south of the Sea of Galilee.
- It is located at an elevation of 5 meters below sea level, making it the Earth’s lowest land-based feature.
- It covers approximately 605 sq.km. It is 50 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide at its widest point.
- Salinity: The Dead Sea is one of the Earth’s saltiest water bodies, almost ten times saltier than ordinary seawaters. It has a salinity of 34.2%.
- It is the fourth saltiest body of water in the world, ranking behind Antarctica’s Don Juan Pond and Lake Vanda, and Djibouti’s Lake Assal.
- The Dead Sea has one main inlet (the Jordan River) but does not have an outlet and so loses its water mainly through evaporation.
- The high saline level and the harsh climate make the lake devoid of life, except for algae and other microorganisms.
- It has a density of 1.240 kg/L, which makes swimming in its waters similar to floating.
4. Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary
The recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to notify the entire Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary as a core and critical area of Bandipur Tiger Reserve are yet to be implemented.
About Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary:
- It is situated in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysuru district, Karnataka.
- It lies north of Bandipur National Park.
- The sanctuary includes the backwaters of Nugu Dam on its western side and shares borders with Alaganchi State Forest, a part of Bandipur Tiger Reserve on the southwest side.
- Nugu Dam is built across the Nugu River, a tributary of the Cauvery.
- It is also an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- Rainfall: The area receives rainfall from both southwest and northeast monsoons. The average amount of rainfall received in this area is 1000 mm.
- Vegetation: The forests comprise of southern mixed deciduous treesand dry deciduous scrubs.
- Flora: Some of the tree species found in this region include Dipterocarpus indicus, Calophyllum tomentosum, and Hopea parviflora.
- Fauna:
- The sanctuary supports a diverse range of fauna, including elephants, tigers, leopards, wild dogs, striped hyenas, sloth bears, gaurs, sambhars, chitals, and four-horned antelopes.
- It is also home to two important riverine wildlife species: the smooth-coated otter and the marsh crocodile, emphasizing its rich biodiversity.
5. Epilepsy
National Epilepsy Day is marked every year in India on November 17 to raise awareness about the disease, the struggles associated with it, and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
About Epilepsy:
- Epilepsy — also known as a seizure disorder — is a chronic brain disorder where nerve cells don’t signal properly, that causes recurring seizures.
- During a seizure, many neurons send signals at the same time, much faster than normal.
- This surge of excessive electrical activity may cause involuntary movements, sensations, emotions, and/or behaviors.
- The disturbance of normal nerve cell activity may cause a loss of awareness.
- Some people recover immediately after a seizure, while others may take minutes to hours to feel like themselves again.
- Causes:
- Epilepsy has many possible causes, but about half of people living with epilepsy do not know the cause.
- In some cases, epilepsy is clearly linked to genetic factors, developmental brain abnormalities, infection, traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, brain tumors, or other identifiable problems.
- Seizure symptoms can vary widely:
- Some people may lose awareness during a seizure while others don't.
- Some people stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure.
- Others may repeatedly twitch their arms or legs, movements known as convulsions.
- Having a single seizure doesn't mean you have epilepsy. Epilepsy is diagnosed if you've had at least two unprovoked seizures at least 24 hours apart.
- Anyone can develop epilepsy. It affects both men and women of all races, ethnic backgrounds, and ages.
- Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
- Treatment:
- Treatment with medicines or sometimes surgery can control seizures for most people with epilepsy.
- Some people require lifelong treatment. For others, seizures go away.
- Some children with epilepsy may outgrow the condition with age.
6. Willingdon Island
Rejuvenation of Willingdon Island, once a bustling hub for port-related activities, has taken centre stage in discussions at trade union forums, with calls for concrete measures to restart its commercial operations.