Five new species of flora and fauna (plants and animals) have been found in the Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve (SBR) forest, popularly known as Seshachalam forests, spread over Chittoor and Kadapa districts. These new species, including reptiles, butterfly and a plant, were recorded between 2009 to 2013, wildlife officials said.
“These species also exist in other forests located in the state but have been found for the first time in Seshachalam forest. Out of the five species, three belong to reptiles (snakes), one to lepidoptera (butterfly) and the last one belongs to plant family,’’ officials said. Among the reptiles, Elliot’s Shieldtail Uropeltis Ellioti, Brown Vine Snake and Slender Coral Snake are the new species found in the SBR forest.
“The SBR forest has now become a hub for species that are so far seen in Western Ghats of the country. The SBR forest in the Eastern Ghats is endowed with good adaptation, soil fermentation and climatic conditions,’’ officials said.
“Out of the three species of reptiles, Slender Coral Snake is poisonous and Elliot’s snake is mildly poisonous,’’ said M Bubesh Gupta, wildlife biologist.
Slender Coral Snake was a very rare species and mostly existed in scrub jungle and on bamboo trees, he said.
Among the other species whose presence has been recorded in the SBR forest is the Common Banded Peacock Papillio Crino (butterfly) which was found in October 2011. This is one of the 96 species of five different families of butterflies existing.
The SBR forest has as many as 1,500 species belonging to 176 families of vascular plants.
The newly foun plant species is akin to Cycas Swamyi, a species which has been hitherto found only in Karnataka as as per the available records. “Research work is still continuing on the newly-found species. It is closely related to Cycas Swamyi but it is yet to be confirmed whether it is the same ,’’ said N V Sivaram Prasad, assistant conservator of forest.
“Once it is confirmed, then Sesachalam will become the first platform for this growing species in Andhra Pradesh,’’ he said.