World Frog Day with the Purple Frog

Join the endemic Purple Frogs for some underground JOMO this World Frog Day!

Comic for my RoundGlass Sustain column.

Indrella ampulla colour morphs

A new study shows that the Palghat Gap in southern India is the barrier separating the various colour morphs of the endemic gastropod Indrella ampulla. The article by Arathi Menon on Mongabay makes for excellent coverage of this study, which yet again proves the biogeographical mettle of the Palghat Gap!

Read another Green Humour comic on genetic isolation resulting from gaps in the Western Ghats here.

Cartoon for Roundglass Sustain.

(For readers from outside of India: the word ‘Mallu’ is a colloquial term referring to Malayali people from the southern state of Kerala).

Who Wore It Better

Amitabh Bachhan's legendary light-bulb fitter costume from Yaarana has close competition- the bright polka dotted Starry Dwarf Frog, endemic to the Western Ghats!

Cartoon for Roundglass Sustain.

Kaveri or Cauvery

Is it ‘Kaveri’or ‘Cauvery’? The South Indian river’s Smooth-coated Otters discuss, in my column with Roundglass Sustain. The river is threatened by dams, sand mining, blast-fishing and deforestation.

Armageddon Reedtail

Meet the newest Indian damselfly discovered from Kerala's Western Ghats, named the 'Armageddon Reedtail' after the Ecological Armageddon. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. A huge congratulations to Pankaj Koparde and team for the discovery!

The Wildlife Map of Goa

To the tourist, Goa is probably just a checklist of beaches and forts on a week's itinerary, but to a wildlife enthusiast, Goa is an entire planet awaiting discovery! From cetaceans, pelagic birds and stunning invertebrates along the coastline to its west, to a multitude of endemic and endangered species in the hills to its east, with the unique laterite plateaus in the middle, Goa is a hidden biodiversity jewel of the Western Ghats!

Explore Goa's biodiversity with the Wildlife Map of Goa, illustrated for Mrugaya Xpeditions, an ecotourism and conservation education organization in Goa run by one of the best naturalists I know, Mr. Parag Rangnerkar. For prints, write to info@mrugayaxpeditions.com . Here are a few snippets from the map (click for a larger preview):

Ranveer Singh and the Fungoid Frog

A World Frog Day special starring fashion guru Fungoid Frog. Oh, and also Ranveer Singh!

Cartoon from my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Sholas and the Sholakili

The Sholas, montane grassland-forests of the Western Ghats are an endangered ecosystem. The Sholakili tells you why. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Life Lessons from Leeches

Dedicated to my wife Rithika who absolutely adores leeches! From my column with Roundglass Sustain (which later also appeared in The Hindu Sunday Magazine).

Miss Kerala Fish

This beauty pageant winner from the Western Ghats is an endangered species, thanks to the aquarium trade, invasive species and habitat loss. Meet the Miss Kerala Fish in my column with The Hindu Weekend.

Humpback Mahseer in Kaveri

Kaveri's Humpback Mahseers are critically endangered, but with efforts like that of river ecologist Neeti Mahesh, there is hope. Comic strip from my column with The Hindu.

COVID Resurgence and the Government of India

COVID resurgence and the Indian government's environmental response to a zoonotic disease. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Completing 5 years of publishing Green Humour on Sunday Mid-day today.

Five New Shrub Frogs from Western Ghats

Even as the Western Ghats continue to face assault from linear intrusion, scientists have discovered five new shrub frogs! Congratulations to Sonali Garg, Robin Suyesh, Sandeep Das, Mark Bee and SD Biju for the discovery, and for yet another reminder of the Western Ghats' ecological significance to India. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Hump-nosed Pit Viper

Meet the Hump-nosed Pit Viper. Comic from my column with The Hindu.

Frogs like Big Girls

Ah well. On frog mating from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

Grizzled Giant Squirrel and Kaveri Dam

A dam proposal at Mekedatu in the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary threatens one of the last strongholds and populations of the near-threatened Grizzled Giant Squirrel. Comic from my column with The Hindu. Read Bhanu Prakash Chandra 's article on the issue in The Week here. 

Southwestern Railway Doubletracking

On the double-tracking of the Southwestern Railways in Goa for facilitating coal transport. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Grey Slender Loris

Meet the Grey Slender Loris from my column with Roundglass Sustain, threatened by habitat loss.

Kottigehar Dancing Frog

An infographic done for ATREE PhD scholar and EDGE fellow Madhushri Mudke's study species, the endemic and endangered Kottigehar Dancing Frog. Found only in Karnataka's Western Ghats, the frog we have nicknamed 'Kappendra' can be seen having a dance-off with Kannada superstar Upendra in our infographic. A few 'teasers' that pay homage to the hand-drawn film poposters of Kannada cinema have also been designed in order to popularize the species in its home state. The infographic too will be translated to Kannada soon.

A big thanks to Madhushri for commissioning me for the project, and for taking me along to actually see the frog in its habitat. The infographic appears along with an article I wrote (my first!) on the Kottigehar Dancing Frog with Madhushri for Roundglass Sustain here. Thanks also to wildlife filmmaker Sugandhi Gadadhar for helping us with the Kannada translation of the teaser.

Read the split panels from the infographic below:

World Elephant Day and the Draft EIA

Dear MoEFCC, launching greenwashing publications on elephant conflict management on World Elephant Day makes no sense when you're all set to auction elephant habitat off to mines and development projects with the Draft EIA 2020.