India discovers 67 animal species, 29 plant species

Indian scientists have discovered 67 new animal species, including fishes, spiders and crop eating insects, and 29 plant species, including grass and flower varieties, last year.

“All these discoveries were made in 2007 and they are vital additions to the plant and animal science of India and the world,” Ramakrishna, director of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), said yesterday.

“Whenever we come across any new species, we bring them to the laboratories and match them with the present ones and if they are unique then we record them,” he said.

He said a majority of the new species have come from western and eastern ghats, Andaman Nicober Islands and northeastern states.

He said ZSI has found 28 species from the eastern Himalayan region and two of them are new fish species.