Karkala July 8: Another important animal has been added to the biodiversity of Karnataka’s Western Ghats. India’s only true arboreal freshwater crab, ‘Kani Maranandu’, a rare animal, has been found for the first time in Agumbe.
This species, which was recorded only in the Agasthyamale biome of Kerala, has now been found in Karnataka, and has been confirmed in a research study conducted by Joel Correa, Pawan Chikkanarayanaswamy and Vijay Kumar.
The rare freshwater arboreal crab of the ‘Gecarcinusidae’ family has the distinction of being the only crab in India that lives entirely in trees. The long legs, oval shell, yellow-orange beaks and blue-black body are the main identifying features of this crab.
Till now, this species was considered to be completely arboreal. But it is also moving on the ground in Agumbe, raising new interesting questions. It is likely to come down to the ground to find a mate or explore a new habitat. This activity increases especially during the monsoon season, the researchers believe.
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According to the researchers, this rare crab lives in water-filled cavities in the trunks of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest trees. Leaves, seeds, insects and slugs are its main food. In Agumbe, it was found near the Myristica swamp, which is a place where it prefers environments near water sources.
This new record is a significant contribution to the study of the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. The researchers believe that this rare crab may have gone unnoticed so far due to its secretive nature in trees, and they recommend that a comprehensive survey be conducted across the Western Ghats and further scientific studies be conducted on its distribution area, ecology, behavior and conservation status.