Southern Indian Otter (Lutra lutra nair)

-


Sinhalese:  Diya-Balla

Tamil: Neer-nail

Description: The Otter bears a superficial resemblance to the Mongoose, but it is a bigger animal, the adult male having an overall length of about 1 meter. It has a broad tapered tail, very short fur and a white throat.

Distribution: Found throughout the island (rare in the dry zone) but always near rivers, lakes, paddy fields etc.

Habits: The Otter is mainly a nocturnal animal, seen either singly or in small family parties. Its food consists of fish, crabs, frogs, eels and occasionally water birds and small animals. It will sometimes move great distances from one waterway to another, possibly in its quest for food. Otters have excellent eye-sight and in captivity they have been known to live for 12 years.

Breeding: The gestation period is about 61 days, and usually 2 or 3 cubs are born. The female uses a cavern beneath the roots of a large tree, or amongst rocks, on the edge of the water.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Lanka Python (Python Molurus Pimbura)

-
Image
Sinhalese: Dhara Pimbura, Ran Pimbura, Pimbura Tamil: Periya Pambu, Malai Pambu, Kaloodai Viriyan. Description: A huge snake which can grow to 8 meters, but usually average about 5.5 meters. Pythons have teeth, a very sensitive tongue, and jaws which can separate to enable them to swallow large prey. Distribution: Found in the jungles of the low country; occasionally in the lower hills hills and often near water. Habits: The python is diurnal, nocturnal and solitary. They swim well, can climb trees and are not venomous. Their food consists of small to medium sized animals which they catch using their teeth, kill by constriction and swallow whole once once the prey is dead. If the meal is substantial the python does not need to feed again for 4 or more months. They have good sight over short distances, are deaf, but can feel vibrations through the ground. Their extremely sensitive tongues can sense loud noises and convey smells to the scent organ in the roof of t
Read more

Sri Lanka Small Civet-Cat (Viverricula Indica Mayori)

-
Image
Sinhalese:  Urulava Tamil: Poolu poona, Veeregu Description: The civet-cat is easily identified by its black and white ringed tail and dark spotted grey body. The adult male, which is slightly larger than the female, has an overall length of about 84 cms. Distribution: found in jungles and scrub throughout the island except in the highest hills. Habits: The civet-cat is mainly nocturnal but not entirely so, usually spending the day living up in some patch of undergrowth. Its food consists of birds, small animals, insects, frogs etc, and also some roots and fruits. Breeding: The birth takes place in a cavity at the end of a short tunnel which is often dug in a bank, or under some large rocks or tree. 3 to 5 young are born.
Read more

Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper – Black gram Syn. Phaseolus mungo L.

-
Image
Taxonomic classification           Kingdom: Plantae             Division: Magnoliophyta             Class: Magnoliopsida             Subclass: Asteridae             Order: Solanales             Family: Leguminosae             Genus: Vigna             Species: V.mungo V.mungo is one of the most highly-priced pulses of India, especially in the vegetarian diet. It is a diffusely branched, herbaceous annual with reddish brown hairs.     Various cultivars are recognized 1. Early-maturing cultivars, which have larger, black seeds 2. Late-maturing cultivars, which have smaller, olive-green seeds   Morphological characters     Stem: This is a diffusely branched, erect or sub-erect plant. The height ranges from 20-80cm. Leaves: The leaf is trifoliate with a long petiole. The stipules are ovate.   Flowers: The inflorescence is borne axillary and may have 2-3 branches. Five to six flowers are clustered at the top of the short hairy peduncle. The
Read more