My Science School

It is great Indian bustard, a bird native to the Indian Subcontinent. It prefers open grasslands.

It has a large body and long legs. The black crown on the forehead is among its unique features. It is among the heaviest flying birds.

Its diet includes a wide range of things - grass, seeds, insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes small rodents and reptiles.

With less than 200 individuals left in the wild, it is considered critically endangered.

Great Indian bustards are tall birds with long legs and a long neck; the tallest individuals may stand up to 1.2 metres (4 feet) tall. The sexes are roughly the same size, with the largest individuals weighing 15 kg (33 pounds). Males and females are distinguished by the colour of their feathers. Feathers on the top of the head are black in males, which also possess a whitish neck, breast, and underparts, along with brown wings highlighted by black and gray markings. Males also have a small, narrow band of black feathers across the breast. In contrast, females possess a smaller black crown on the top of the head, and the black breast band is either discontinuous or absent.

Picture Credit : Google

Malabar pit viper is a venomous snake species endemic to southwestern India. It inhabits moist- evergreen and deciduous forests.

It comes in all colours - yellow, green and brown – and patterns. The tail is prehensile, adapted for grasping or holding (say, trees). It is nocturnal, sometimes seen basking on rocks or trees near streams. It is specifically active during the monsoon season.

It preys on tree frogs, geckos and small animals. It is slow-moving, but capable of fast strikes.

Pit Viper is a slow-moving snake and nocturnal. They rely on camouflage for protection. Although slow to defend themselves, they are capable of fast strikes and bites if disturbed. The food of this snake consist of small mammals like rodents, lizards, birds and frogs. The females give birth to 4 or 5 living young. This is also Viper speciality as other snakes lay eggs. The eggs develop inside the mother’s body surrounded by transparent bags, called membranes. While the baby snake is developing inside the mother, it gets its food from the yolk of the egg. The female viper usually gives birth in a hidden place, where the young are safe from enemies.

Picture Credit : Google