PRAKRITI, 04th January 2020, Vol.II, Issue 12

Weekly magazine

P R A K R I T I Quest For Nature

Flora of the week of the week of the week

Epipremnum aureum Varanus Indicus kundoo or or or Money Monitor Lizard

Officers’ Club Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun

th PRAKRITI, 4 January 2020, Vol. II, Issue 12

FLORA OF THE WEEK

Epipremnum aureum / Money Plant

Money Plant is an evergreen plant with thick, waxy, green, heart-shaped leaves with splashe of yellow. As a houseplant, it is commonly grown as a hanging plant. Pothos can climb by means of aerial roots, and wild or cultivated grown outdoors can reach enormous heights using tall trees as support. In addition, the leaves of outdoor plants grow many times larger than indoor plants. ‘Marble Queen,’ with white variegations of greater extent than in the species, and ‘Tricolor,’ with shades of green, deep yellow, and creamy white, are popular.

Care and Growing methods:

A well-cared money plant can grow up to a height of 12 feet. If average care is given to this

plant, then, also it will reach up to 7 feet in height approximately.

Soil: Well-Drained soil is what money plant requires. So, one can mix river sand with

normal potting soil. Sand allows brilliant aeration and drainage to plants and thus the plant

will prosper well.

Water: Money plant is a strange plant as it can thrive when you water it adequately or Classification underwater it. Under-watering would still be okay but over-watering can be detrimental to its growth. Watering a money plant once in 7 or 10 days is perfect for summer season Kingdom Plantae

because the soil also needs to dry up between two watering sessions. Division Angiosperms

Class Monocots RANGE & DISTRIBUTION Common Names: Order Alismatales

Golden Ivy, Pothos, Devil’s Ivy, Family Araceae

Silver , Ceylon Creeper Genus Epipremnum

It is native to south eastern . Species aureum

The plant is easily propagated Uses and Benefits: from cuttings and rarely, if ever, It acts as air Purifier. (It does not flowers.) It acts as an anti-radiator.

It can reduce your anxiety and sleeping Facts: disorders also, it brings a healthy If grown in the wild, the money plant can grow into a 50-60 feet tall tree. However, lifestyle. So, place a money plant in your if grown in a container, the money plant can only reach 10-15 feet tall. It is one of bedroom or a living room to avoid any the interesting facts about money plant. mental illness. Each branch of a money plant has 5 leaves which grow 12 inches long. They are bright green in colour and shiny too.

Central Academy for State Forest Service Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun, 248006, Guided by: Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers’ Club Om Prakash Bidare |SFS 2019-21P1 Uttarakhand Ph: 0135-2754575/Fax: 0135- 2756168 Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club

PRAKRITI, 4th January2021, Vol. II, Issue 12 FAUNA OF THE WEEK

Varanus Indicus Monitor Lizard

They are incredibly varied creatures, and the largest species, the Komodo dragon, grows up to 10 ft. long. Each species of monitor lizard is different, which means that there is a lot to learn about them! Read on to learn about the monitor lizard. Most species of monitor lizard are quite large, especially compared to other lizards. Though some species, like the Timor tree monitor, are smaller, many species grow several feet long on average. All monitor lizards have long muscular tails and sharp claws. Though most species, particularly the larger species, live on the ground, young monitor lizards and smaller species live fully or partially in trees.

Kingdom Animalia Behavior of the Monitor Lizard: Phylum Chordata The vast majority of monitor lizards are solitary creatures, and patrol their territories. Most Class Reptilia territories are relatively large, and the lizards choose them based on how much food they can find and how close they are to prospective mates. Order Squamata Family Varanidae These reptiles alternate their time between basking in the sun, and searching for prey. Some Genus Varanus species are nocturnal and active at night, and some species are diurnal and active during the day. Species Indicus

RANGE & DISTRIBUTION Monitor Lizard Physical Characteristics: Colour: Brown, Grey, Tan, Green Skin Type: Scales Top Speed: 28 mph Lifespan: 8-30 years Weight: 1-166kg (2.2-366lbs)

Monitor Lizard Facts: The exact range of these creatures depends on the species Main Prey: Rodents, Snakes, Lizards at hand. Some monitor lizards Reproduction of the Monitor Lizard: Habitat: River banks and coastal forests are widespread and common, All species of monitor lizards lay eggs, which make them while others have much smaller Predators: Human, Snakes, Wildcats ranges, and are quite rare. As a oviparous. The number of eggs in a clutch varies based on whole, the various species live Diet: Omnivore across a huge range. the species, some lay only a handful of eggs, while others lay well over 20 or 30. Even within a single species, the Average Litter Size: 10 They inhabit Africa, Asia, Australia, and most of the incubation time varies based on the temperature of the Lifestyle: Solitary surrounding islands between eggs. Favorite Food: Rodents these regions. Humans have also introduced a number of monitor When the young hatch, they are fully independent and Type: Reptile lizard species to other areas, including the United States begin to hunt on their own. Most young monitor lizards Slogan: Some species are thought to (including, to no surprise, live in trees and eat insects, and they begin to eat larger carry a weak venom! Florida.). prey as they grow larger.

Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography & Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun, 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers’ Club Ph: 0135-2754575/Fax: 0135-2756168 Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Mani Shankar Mishra |SFS 2019-21 P2

PRAKRITI, 4th January 2020, Vol. II, Issue 12 BIRD OF THE WEEK Indian Golden Oriole /

Oriolus kundoo

The Indian golden oriole (Oriolus kundoo) is a species of oriole found in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The species was formerly considered to be a of the , but is now considered a full species. Adults can be told apart from the Eurasian golden oriole by the black of the eye stripe extending behind the eye.

Food: Wild , orchard fruits, berries of sp., plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds and mulberries.

Voice: Fluty melodious "peelo..peelo" or "wee..wee..wee" sound. Male Oriole Size: 25cm

Habitat: Tropical and subtropical montane forests, foothill forests, temperate forests, deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, thorny forests, mangroves, open country with scattered trees. Rural gardens, plantations, orchards, agricultural lands and urban areas.

These golden oriole species have high forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 2400 meters. These golden oriole species are distributed in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Female Oriole Pakistan and Indian subcontinent. Least Concern RANGE & DISTRIBUTION Male:The male oriole has head, upperparts and Classification underparts rich yellow. The wings are black with large Kingdom Animalia yellow patches. The secondaries and tertiaries have yellow tips. The uppertail is black with yellow edge to Phylum Chordata the outer feathers. Class Aves Female: The female has duller yellow plumage. The throat, breast and belly are whitish with yellow and Order Passeriformes black streaks. The juveniles have brownish wings and tail and the lores are pale. Family Oriolidae

Common Features: The bill is pale pink. The irises are Genus Oriolus pale red. There is a pinkish gray eye-ring. The legs and feet are gray. Species kundoo

Behaviors and Ecology:

Their flight is dipping but strong and has been recorded to reach about 40 km/h. They sometimes bathe by repeatedly flying into a small pool of water. An individual ringed in Gujarat was recovered in Tajikistan more than nine years later. The Indian golden oriole is a partial migrant. It breeds in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Indian populations are largely resident while the other populations are migratory. The breeding season is April to August, the nest being a small cup placed in a fork near the end of a branch. Orioles feed on fruits, nectar and insects. They are capable of dispersing the of many berry-bearing plants including the invasive . An oriole has been recorded preying on southern flying lizards.

Central Academy for State Forest Service Guided by: Photography &Compiled by: P.O. New Forest, Dehradun, 248006, Uttarakhand Shri Kunal Satyarthi, IFS, President Officers’ Club Ph: 0135-2754575/Fax: 0135-2756168 Shri Pradeep Wahule, IFS, Vice President, Officers’ Club Naresh Chandra Patidar |SFS 2019-21P1