Irulas win the Padmashri

Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan, members of the snake-catching Irula community, were among the 106 Padma awardees on this Republic Day (26th January). The duo has not only led snake-catching operations in India but also advised snake expeditions abroad!

Despite playing a critical role in saving thousands of lives each year from snakebites, Irulas who have been the backbone of the antivenom supply in India, have faced caste-based injustices over decades.

The comic appears in my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. A couple of years back, I wrote and illustrated a short comic book on snakebite awareness called ‘Making Friends with Snakes’ in collaboration with the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and renowned herpetologist Mr. Romulus Whitaker, which is available via Pratham Books and Storyweaver. The book was a recipient of the Green Literature Festival Award, 2021.

2022's New Discoveries Congratulate India's Biologists

Just a few of 2022's new kids on the block! Congratulations to India's biologists for all the splendid discoveries this year! We sure hope the streak continues in 2023!

From my column with Roundglass Sustain. 

Snake Clitoris

Researcher Megan Folwell seems to have changed herpetology forever by unearthing the presence of two clitorises in a Death Adder, leading to the similar discoveries of varying sizes in other kinds of snakes! What's more: the presence of erectile tissue in the clitoris may be even suggestive of tactile sensitivity!

Ah, well, some cartoons just write themselves!

Congratulations to the researchers for a monumental discovery (we did not see that 'coming'!). Read more about the study here. 

Skip a Date with Excuses from Wild Animals

Skip a date in style with these crafty excuses from wild animals! Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

New Species of 2021

Just a few of the many new species discovered in 2021 congratulate our biologists, in my column with Roundglass Sustain. A very happy new year to all Green Humour readers! See you next year with new comics. 

Hump-nosed Pit Viper

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

Nagpur and Nag River

A Nag (Spectacled Cobra), the municipal symbol of my hometown Nagpur, tells you the story of the river this city was named after, in my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Recommended reading: this article in Down To Earth on the Nag River by Aparna Pallavi.

Railway Lines through Western Ghats

Endemic animals have joined the protest against railway lines through the Western Ghats. Have you?

Read why the Hubbali Ankola Railway Line through the Western Ghats is a terrible idea, and sign the petition here. 

Sign the petition to object to the doubling of a railway line through Mollem National Park here. 

Egg eating Snake

The Indian Egg-eating Snake is a specialized egg-eater! Vertebral hypapophyses, or enamel projections extending into the oesophagus from the cervical vertebrae help the snake crack eggs within its digestive tract. Imagine your vertebral bone poking into your food pipe!

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain.

LGBTQ+ Wildlife

Meet just a few of the hundreds of (known) LGBTQ+ wildlife species, in my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Happy Pride Month!

Thackeray's Cat Snake and the Maharashtra Government

In 2019, a Cat Snake discovered in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra was named 'Theckeray's Cat Snake after Chief Minister Udhhav Thackeray's family. Now, the same CM's government has dishonoured both the snake and the Western Ghats by demanding mining reservations in several eco-sensitive zones in the Ghats. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Gaps in the Western Ghats and Evolution

Gaps in the Western Ghats, such as the Palghat Gap, have resulted in some remarkable evolutionary marvels, as a result of geographical isolation. While the sensational discovery of the birds in the comic was led by VV Robin in 2010, the recent discovery of the Anamalai Wood Snake is by Sandeep Das, KP Rajkumar and Deepak V. Comic from my column with The Hindu.  

Earth Day with Underground Weirdos

Happy Earth Day from some underground weirdos from my column with RoundGlass Sustain.

Learn Physical Isolation and Solitude from the Masters

Learn physical distancing and solitude from the masters, and keep safe from the epidemic. Comic from my column with The Hindu.

New Discoveries of 2019

2019 was not exactly a good year for conservation in India, but India's conservation biologists have still made several breakthroughs. Here are just some of the newly discovered species of fauna and flora from 2019. And much like the Impatiens balsam, I too am already impatient about the discoveries that 2020 will bring!

Comic from my column with Pune Mirror today.

The Arunachal Pit Viper

A Bugun Liocichla introduces you to the Arunachal Pit Viper in my column with The Hindu today! Discovered recently by researchers in West Kameng, Arunachal, the Arunachal Pit Viper bears a close resemblance to the Hump-nosed Pit Viper of the Western Ghats. The discovery was made by Rohan Pandit and Wangchu Phiang, a member of the Bugun community that has been earning laurels for their community conservation work in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.

New Snake Discoveries 2019

First the good news- biologists in India are breaking new ground every single day! THREE new snake species have been discovered in India in the last two weeks! The Arunachal Pit Viper, a vine snake from Central India: Aheatulla nasuta, and a new genus of snakes from the North-east: Smithopsis! Now the bad news- the Indian media is an abomination.

Spider tailed Horned Viper

Meet the Spider-tailed Horned Viper of Iran. From my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Hedgehog Cartoons for Arastirmaci Cocuk

In this month's issue of the Turkish kid's magazine Arastirmaci Cocuk, I speak about hedgehogs! The cartoons appear originally in Turkish in the print.

Hedgehogs of the world prints and merchandise are available on my webstore here. 

Life Lessons from Various Snakes

It's World Snake Day tomorrow. Here are some life lessons that all of us can adopt, from various snakes from around the world. The comic appears in my column with Sunday Mid-day.

Prints of the comic are available on my webstore here. For orders within India, write to me on rohanchakcartoonist@gmail.com.