2025 Animal and Plant Discoveries and ZSI Foundation Day

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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) officially released two annual publications titled Animal Discoveries 2025 and Plant Discoveries 2025.
These compilations were prepared by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) respectively.
The official release took place in Kolkata during the celebration of the 111th Foundation Day of the ZSI.

India recorded 709 new animal species in 2025, raising the country's total documented faunal diversity to 1,05,953 species.
State-wise rankings show Kerala leading with 98 new animal species, followed closely by West Bengal, Karnataka, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Key vertebrate findings include the Himalayan bat (Myotis himalaicus), Irwin's wolf snake (Lycodon irwini), and two fan-throated lizard species (Ptyctolaemus mamdaphaensis and Ptyctolaemus siangensis).
The Himalayan long-tailed Myotis (Myotis himalaicus) was found in Uttarakhand in the Western Himalayas as an insect-eating bat with a tail nearly equal to its body length, aiding in pest management.
The non-venomous, glossy black Irwin's wolf snake (Lycodon irwini) was discovered on Great Nicobar Island and named after nature educator Steve Irwin.
Researchers identified the Namdapha green fan-throated lizard (Ptyctolaemus mamdaphaensis) inside the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.
Scientists discovered the Siang green fan-throated lizard (Ptyctolaemus siangensis) as a distinct lizard species in the Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) added 353 plant taxa to the national floral inventory during 2025.
Non-vascular plants formed 57% of these new floral additions, while vascular plants accounted for the remaining 43%.
Arunachal Pradesh topped state discoveries with 49 floral findings, with Uttarakhand and Kerala taking the next positions.
Important plant discoveries include a fern species (Polystichum siangense) in Arunachal Pradesh and a wild relative of custard apple (Miliusa beddomei) in the Western Ghats.
Researchers also documented a novel wild edible tooth-fungus species named Hericium indicum.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) acts as the main national body under MoEFCC for animal taxonomy, biodiversity surveys, and zoological research.
Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, the organization manages 16 regional centers placed in distinct ecosystems like the Western Ghats, coastal areas, and high mountain zones.
Its historic roots began with the Zoological Section of the Indian Museum in 1875, influenced by Sir William Jones who created the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784.
The government officially set up the ZSI as an independent organization on 1st July 1916 to survey wildlife across undivided India.
After India ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994, ZSI expanded its work beyond basic taxonomy into ecosystem conservation tracking.
Under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, ZSI serves as the official custodian of the National Zoological Collection, holding millions of animal specimens.
The institute conducts Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and uses tools like DNA barcoding and wildlife forensics including the Pangolin Indexing System to stop illegal wildlife trade.
To aid national policy, ZSI regularly releases landmark publications including the Indian Red Data Book, the Fauna of India series, and the annual Animal Discoveries directory.

Annual publications like Animal Discoveries 2025 and Plant Discoveries 2025 record and publish newly identified fauna and flora in India every year.
Discovering new species strengthens biological knowledge, improves habitat conservation strategies, and provides evidence for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
These scientific documenting efforts help India fulfill its global commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).