Coimbatore: As yet another feather on its cap, the two days exploratory pilot survey on reptiles conducted at Singanallur Lake has increased the biodiversity count in the lake as the survey has yielded 28 reptiles.
Coimbatore: As yet another feather on its cap, the two days exploratory pilot survey on reptiles conducted at Singanallur Lake has increased the biodiversity count in the lake as the survey has yielded 28 reptiles.
The results of the survey that was conducted over the weekend using the visual monitoring method has given a significant boost to the ongoing nature education and lake conservation activities carried out at the lake. According to experts and volunteers of the Centre for Urban Biodiversity Conservation and Education (CUBE) who participated in the survey, as many as 16 species of snakes, four species of lizards, four species of skinks and four species of Geckos have been spotted in the lake during the survey.
Of the 16 species of snakes found, more than 11 species are non-venomous and harmless snakes including the commonly found rat snake, green vine snake, common Kukri and striped Keelback.
The three-member team of experts involved in the survey covered the length and breadth of the lake, walking on the bund to make sure they do not miss out on any creatures. Since snakes tend to move more during the night, the team also explored the area during the night with safety equipment. They also explored the tracks of snakes to use as secondary data.
With the survey results, the official count of biodiversity at the lake has increased from the existing 720 species. Though the numbers have risen rapidly over the years, the team is yet to conclude on the final number as it is continuously on the rise.
According to a data from CUBE, as many as 160 species of birds, 396 species of plants including 200 species of medicinal plants, 62 species of butterflies, 22 species of mammals, 28 species of reptiles, three species of amphibians, 12 species of fishes, 21 species of dragonflies and more than 100 species of insects have been spotted at the lake thus far.